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

    Steady-State-Modelle als Grundlage von Betrieblichen Umweltinformationssystemen

    Möller, A., 2014, Konzepte, Anwendungen und Entwicklungstendenzen von betrieblichen Umweltinformationssystemen (BUIS): Tagungsband zu den 6. BUIS-Tagen am 24. und 25.04.2014 in Berlin. Wohlgemuth, V., Lang, C. & Marx Gomez, J. (eds.). 1 ed. Shaker Verlag, p. 83-100 18 p. (Berichte aus der Umweltinformatik).

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksArticle in conference proceedingsResearch

  3. Published

    Sufficiency and Subsistence – On two important concepts for Sustainable Development

    Mölders, T., Szumelda, A. U. & von Winterfeld, U., 2014, In: Problemy Ekorozwoju. 9, 1, p. 21-27 8 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  4. Published

    Sustainability Management for Start-ups and Micro-Enterprises: Development of a Sustainability Quick-Check and Reporting Scheme

    Halberstadt, J. & Johnson, M., 2014, Proceedings of the 28th Conference on Environmental Informatics: Informatics for Environmental Protection, Sustainable Development and Risk Management. Gómez, J. M., Sonnenschein, M., Vogel, U., Winter, A., Rapp, B. & Giesen, N. (eds.). Universität Oldenburg, Bibliotheks- und Informationssystem, p. 17-24 8 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksArticle in conference proceedingsResearchpeer-review

  5. Published

    Sustainable Development of Biofuels in Latin America and the Caribbean

    Solomon, B. D. (Editor) & Bailis, R. (Editor), 2014, New York: Springer Science+Business Media.

    Research output: Books and anthologiesCollected editions and anthologiesResearch

  6. Published

    Sustainable Tourism: A Multi-Stakeholder Involvement in Coral Reefs Conservation in Malaysia

    Mohamad Saleh, M. S. & Nik Hasan, N. N., 2014, In: International Journal of Physical and Social Sciences. 4, 3, p. 158-174 17 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  7. Published

    TERIM – Transition Dynamics in Energy Regions: An Integrated Model for Sustainable Policies

    Binder, C. R., Absenger-Helmli, I., Bedenik, K., Chappin, E., Dijkema, G., Goetz, A., Hecher, M., Knoeri, C. & Vilsmaier, U., 2014, Tagungsband 15. Klimatag: 2.–4. April 2014. Innsbruch: Universität Innsbruck , p. 78-79 2 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksPublished abstract in conference proceedingsResearchpeer-review

  8. Published

    The Case of Corporate Sustainability in the United States of America

    Morelli, J. & Harms, D., 2014, Corporate Sustainability in International Comparison: State of Practice, Opportunities and Challenges. Schaltegger, S., Windolph, S. E., Harms, D. & Hörisch, J. (eds.). Cham: Springer International Publishing AG, p. 223-237 15 p. (Eco-Efficiency in Industry and Science; vol. 31).

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksContributions to collected editions/anthologiesResearchpeer-review

  9. Published

    The Environmental Efficacy of Sustainability Management Tools

    Hörisch, J., Schaltegger, S., Alvarez, I. & Ortas, E., 2014, From Sustainability Reporting to Sustainability Management Control: Conference on Sustainability Reporting and Sustainability Management Control. Rotterdam: Environmental and Sustainability Management Accounting Network, 4 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksArticle in conference proceedingsResearchpeer-review

  10. Published
  11. Published

    The Schöningen Middle Pleistocene sequence: Palaeoenvironment and dating

    Turner, C., Urban, B. & van Kolfschoten, T., 2014, The Quaternary of the Urals: global trends and PAN-European Quaternary records.: International conference INQUA-SEQS 2014. Borodin, A. V., Markova, E. A. & Strukova, T. V. (eds.). Ural Federal University, p. 172-174 3 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksPublished abstract in conference proceedingsResearchpeer-review