Organisation profile

Sustainability has many facets. Inter- and transdisciplinary research and teaching characterize the School of Sustainability. Scientists in our research projects work together in the laboratory, on the heath, in the grassland, in the classroom, with the city administration, with farmers, with non-governmental organizations, with companies, with students in the lecture hall and of course at their desks.

Furthermore, we work with regional and national political actors, e.g. ministries, as well as international organizations, e.g. UNEP, UNESCO, EU. We are part of national and international bodies, e.g. sustainability advisory boards of companies, member of the German Sustainability Award, World Biodiversity Council (IPBES), in order to contribute to social change with scientific findings.

Main research areas

Vision
Sustainability science investigates on a theoretical, conceptual and empirical level how to promote sustainable development and how to find and implement effective solutions for current social and ecological challenges. The aim is to create a more sustainable future.

Sustainability researchers are called upon to take responsibility for their research, which is anchored in existing scientific knowledge and methods and serves to make the world a better place for everyone.

Mission
We promote change towards a sustainable future by developing theories, concepts and practices of inclusive education for sustainability, research, governance and management.

We acknowledge the diversity and dynamics of values, norms and behaviour and contribute with transdisciplinary methods to ensuring that tensions and differences between different disciplines, methods, topics and standards are fruitfully taken up and used with productive compromises and further developments towards sustainable development.

Principles
The School of Sustainability is guided by the normative concepts of ecological system integrity and social and economic justice.

Ecological system integrity refers to the safeguarding of life-support systems, as well as the maintenance of the well-being of life on Earth.

With social and economic justice we strive for a world in which all people can fulfil their potential without endangering system integrity and the well-being of others.

Information about the School
The School of Sustainability includes...
... ca. 25 professors
... ca. 100 research assistants
... ca. 1000 students in Bachelor and Master courses

In various inter- and transdisciplinary projects we are constantly researching and working together on changes and solutions for current challenges.

  1. E-pub ahead of print

    Enhancing the transformative potential of sustainability innovations: An application of the values-rules-knowledge framework

    Dabard, C. H., Mann, C. & Martín-López, B., 13.03.2025, (E-pub ahead of print) In: Ambio. 17 p., 102273.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  2. E-pub ahead of print

    Einstieg in die chemische Reaktion – inklusiv und kontextorientiert

    Hüfner, S., Sander, H., Frey, F., List, F., Brodhun, F., Hartmann, A., Schneide, O., Stanze, C. & Abels, S., 11.03.2025, (E-pub ahead of print) In: ChemKon. 2025, 8 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesTransferpeer-review

  3. Published

    From the environmental state to the sustainability state? Conceptualization, indicators, and examples

    Rose, M., 03.2025, In: Sustainability: Science, Practice and Policy. 21, 1, 16 p., 2463188.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  4. E-pub ahead of print

    The Role of Individual Beliefs for Corporate Sustainability Transformations

    Buhr, M. & Weissbrod, I., 28.02.2025, (E-pub ahead of print) In: Business Ethics, the Environment & Responsibility. 27 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  5. Accepted/In press

    A metacoupling lens on the co-production of nature’s contributions to people: Insights for sustainability

    Mayer, A., Martín-López, B., Locatelli, B., Rabeschini, G., Liu, J., Loos, J., Felipe-Lucia, M. R., Riechers, M. & Isaac, R., 2025, (Accepted/In press) XXXXXXXXX. Academic Press Inc., (Advances in Ecological Research).

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksChapterpeer-review

  6. Published

    The Concept Benign by Design

    Puhlmann, N. & Kümmerer, K., 2025, Encyclopedia of Green Chemistry: Volume 1. Török, B. (ed.). First Edition ed. Oxford: Elsevier, p. 17-29 13 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksChapterpeer-review

  7. Published

    Die unionsrechtliche Regulierung von Hafenauffangeinrichtungen für Schiffsabfälle durch die PRF-Richtlinie

    Schatz, V. & Wanner, L., 01.2025, In: Natur und Recht. 47, 1, p. 13-19 7 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  8. Published

    Chagga women´s connections with nature: fostering relationality through arts-based methods

    Pearson, J., Massawe, J. J., Mbaruku, A. P., Mramba, E. I., Mwampamba, T. H. & Martín-López, B., 03.2025, In: Ecosystems and People. 21, 1, 21 p., 2459108.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  9. E-pub ahead of print

    Temporal changes in taxonomic and functional alpha and beta diversity across tree communities in subtropical Atlantic forests

    Freitag Kramer, J. M., Bordin, K. M., Bergamin, R. S., Klipel, J., Picolotto, R. C., Zanini, K. J., Zwiener, V. P. & Müller, S. C., 25.02.2025, (E-pub ahead of print) In: Oikos. 15 p., e10961.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  10. Published

    Towards a global understanding of tree mortality

    International Tree Mortality Network, Senf, C., Esquivel-Muelbert, A., Pugh, T. A. M. & Klipel, J., 03.2025, In: New Phytologist. 245, 6, p. 2377-2392 16 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsComments / Debate / ReportsResearch