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. 2014
  2. Published

    Personal norms of sustainability and farm management behavior

    Olbrich, R., Quaas, M. F. & Baumgärtner, S., 06.08.2014, In: Sustainability. 6, 8, p. 4990-5017 28 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  3. Published

    Global emission inventories for C4-C14 perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acid (PFCA) homologues from 1951 to 2030, part II: the remaining pieces of the puzzle

    Wang, Z., Cousins, I. T., Scheringer, M., Buck, R. C. & Hungerbühler, K., 01.08.2014, In: Environmental international. 69, p. 166-176 11 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  4. Published

    Auf dem Weg zum Nachhaltigkeitsstaat? Die Möglichkeiten langfristigen staatlichen Handelns am Beispiel Biodiversitätspolitik

    Heinrichs, H., Laws, N. & Mitlacher, G., 08.2014, In: Umwelt Aktuell. 8/9, p. 2-3 2 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesTransferpeer-review

  5. Published

    Bird communities in traditional wood-pastures with changing management in Eastern Europe

    Hartel, T., Hanspach, J., Abson, D. J., Máthé, O., Moga, C. I. & Fischer, J., 08.2014, In: Basic and Applied Ecology. 15, 5, p. 385–395 11 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  6. Published

    From Planning to Implementation: Top-Down and Bottom-Up Approaches for Collaborative Watershed Management

    Koontz, T. M. & Newig, J., 08.2014, In: Policy Studies Journal. 42, 3, p. 416-442 27 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  7. Published

    Human-carnivore coexistence in a traditional rural landscape

    Dorresteijn, I., Hanspach, J., Kecskés, A., Latková, H., Mezey, Z., Sugár, S., von Wehrden, H. & Fischer, J., 08.2014, In: Landscape Ecology. 29, 7, p. 1145-1155 11 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  8. Published

    River flow regime and snow cover of the Pamir Alay (Central Asia) in a changing climate

    Chevallier, P., Pouyaud, B., Mojaisky, M., Bolgov, M., Olsson, O., Bauer, M. & Froebrich, J., 08.2014, In: Hydrological Sciences Journal. 59, 8, p. 1491-1506 16 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  9. Published

    Temperature regimes and aphid density interactions differentially influence VOC emissions in Arabidopsis

    Truong, D. H., Delory, B. M., Vanderplanck, M., Brostaux, Y., Vandereycken, A., Heuskin, S., Delaplace, P., Francis, F. & Lognay, G., 08.2014, In: Arthropod-Plant Interactions : an international journal devoted to studies on interactions of insects, mites and other anthropods with plants. 8, 4, p. 317-327 11 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  10. Published

    Modifying Our Society With Law: The Case of EU Renewable Energy Law

    Peeters, M. & Schomerus, T., 25.07.2014, In: Climate Law. 4, 1-2, p. 131-139 9 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesTransferpeer-review

  11. Published

    Low-intensity agricultural landscapes in Transylvania support high butterfly diversity: Implications for conservation

    Loos, J., Dorresteijn, I., Hanspach, J., Fust, P., Rakosy, L. & Fischer, J., 24.07.2014, In: PLoS ONE. 9, 7, 11 p., e103256.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review