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. 2019
  2. Published

    "Doing" Sustainability Assessment in Different Consumption and Production Contexts-Lessons from Case Study Comparison

    Engelmann, T., Fischer, D., Lörchner, M., Bowry, J. & Rohn, H., 09.12.2019, In: Sustainability. 11, 24, 25 p., 7041.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  3. Published

    Human-carnivore relations: Conflicts, tolerance and coexistence in the American West

    Expósito-Granados, M., Castro, A. J., Lozano, J., Aznar-Sanchez, J. A., Carter, N. H., Requena-Mullor, J. M., Malo, A. F., Olszańska, A., Morales-Reyes, Z., Moleón, M., Sánchez-Zapata, J. A., Cortés-Avizanda, A., Fischer, J. & Martín-López, B., 06.12.2019, In: Environmental Research Letters. 14, 12, 14 p., 123005.

    Research output: Journal contributionsScientific review articlesResearch

  4. Published

    Democratic innovation and environmental governance

    Newig, J., Challies, E. & Jager, N. W., 05.12.2019, Handbook of Democratic Innovation and Governance. Elstub, S. & Escobar, O. (eds.). Edward Elgar Publishing, p. 324-338 15 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksChapterpeer-review

  5. Published

    A process-oriented framework of competencies for sustainability entrepreneurship

    Foucrier, T. & Wiek, A., 02.12.2019, In: Sustainability. 11, 24, 18 p., 7250.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  6. Published

    Cultural adaptation of internet interventions for refugees: Results from a user experience study in Germany

    Spanhel, K., Schweizer, J. S., Wirsching, D., Lehr, D., Baumeister, H., Bengel, J. & Sander, L., 01.12.2019, In: Internet Interventions. 18, 13 p., 100252.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  7. Published

    Drivers of productivity and its temporal stability in a tropical tree diversity experiment

    Schnabel, F., Schwarz, J. A., Danescu, A., Fichtner, A., Nock, C., Bauhus, J. & Potvin, C., 01.12.2019, In: Global Change Biology. 25, 12, p. 4257-4272 16 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  8. Published

    Dynamic norms drive sustainable consumption: Norm-based nudging helps café customers to avoid disposable to-go-cups

    Loschelder, D. D., Siepelmeyer, H., Fischer, D. & Rubel, J. A., 01.12.2019, In: Journal of Economic Psychology. 75, Part A, 102146.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  9. Published

    Es geht auch anders! Nachhaltigkeitspioniere krempeln die Smartphone-Branche um

    Revellio, F. & Norris, S., 01.12.2019, In: Forum Nachhaltig Wirtschaften. 4, p. 102-104 3 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesTransfer

  10. Published

    FragSAD: A database of diversity and species abundance distributions from habitat fragments

    Chase, J. M., Liebergesell, M., Sagouis, A., May, F., Blowes, S. A., Berg, Å., Bernard, E., Brosi, B. J., Cadotte, M. W., Cayuela, L., Chiarello, A. G., Cosson, J.-F., Cresswell, W., Dami, F. D., Dauber, J., Dickman, C. R., Didham, R. K., Edwards, D. P., Farneda, F. Z., Gavish, Y., Gonçalves-Souza, T., Guadagnin, D. L., Henry, M., López-Baucells, A., Kappes, H., Mac Nally, R., Manu, S., Martensen, A. C., McCollin, D., Meyer, C. F. J., Neckel-Oliveira, S., Nogueira, A., Pons, J.-M., Raheem, D. C., Ramos, F. N., Rocha, R., Sam, K., Slade, E., Stireman III, J. O., Struebig, M. J., Vasconcelos, H. & Ziv, Y., 01.12.2019, In: Ecology. 100, 12, 1 p., e02861.

    Research output: Journal contributionsOther (editorial matter etc.)Research

  11. Published

    Key knowledge gaps to achieve global sustainability goals

    Mastrángelo, M. E., Pérez-Harguindeguy, N., Enrico, L., Bennett, E., Lavorel, S., Cumming, G. S., Abeygunawardane, D., Amarilla, L. D., Burkhard, B., Egoh, B. N., Frishkoff, L., Galetto, L., Huber, S., Karp, D. S., Ke, A., Kowaljow, E., Kronenburg-García, A., Locatelli, B., Martín-López, B., Meyfroidt, P., Mwampamba, T. H., Nel, J., Nicholas, K. A., Nicholson, C., Oteros-Rozas, E., Rahlao, S. J., Raudsepp-Hearne, C., Ricketts, T., Shrestha, U. B., Torres, C., Winkler, K. J. & Zoeller, K., 01.12.2019, In: Nature Sustainability. 2, 12, p. 1115-1121 7 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review