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. 2013
  2. Published

    Neue Wege

    Kümmerer, K., 12.2013, Zukunft Chemie: Perspektiven auf die Welt von morgen. Mohr, R. & Utikal, H. (eds.). Frankfurt: F.A.Z.-Institut für Management-, Markt- und Medieninformationen GmbH, p. 214-235 6 p.

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

  3. Published

    Post-dispersal seed predation of three grassland species in a plant diversity experiment

    Pufal, G. & Klein, A.-M., 12.2013, In: The Journal of Ecology. 6, 6, p. 468-479 12 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  4. Published

    Spatial and seasonal distribution of trace metals in floodplain soils: A case study with the middle Elbe river, Germany

    Schulz-Zunkel, C., Krüger, F., Rupp, H., Meißner, R., Gruber, B., Gerisch, M. & Bork, H. R., 12.2013, In: Geoderma. 211-212, p. 128-137 10 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  5. Published

    Subsistence and substitutability in consumer preferences

    Baumgärtner, S., Drupp, M. & Quaas, M. F., 12.2013, Lüneburg: Institut für Volkswirtschaftslehre der Universität Lüneburg, 28 p. (University of Lüneburg Working Paper Series in Economics; no. 290).

    Research output: Working paperWorking papers

  6. Published
  7. Published

    Differential reproductive responses to stress reveal the role of life-history strategies within a species

    Schultner, J., Kitaysky, A. S., Gabrielsen, G. W., Hatch, S. A. & Bech, C., 22.11.2013, In: Proceedings of the Royal Society B . 280, 1771, 10 p., 20132090.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  8. Published

    Effective change management, governance and policy for sustainability transformation in higher education

    Mader, C., Scott, G. & Razak, D. A., 18.11.2013, In: Sustainability Accounting, Management and Policy Journal. 4, 3, p. 264-284 21 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  9. Published

    Comparing the performance of computational estimation methods for physicochemical properties of dimethylsiloxanes and selected siloxanols

    Buser, A. M., Schenker, S., Scheringer, M. & Hungerbühler, K., 14.11.2013, In: Journal of Chemical & Engineering Data. 58, 11, p. 3170-3178 9 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  10. Published

    Countering Hybrid Eco-threats to Global Security Under International Law: The Need for an Comprehensive Legal Approach

    Sanden, J. & Bachmann, S. D., 01.11.2013, In: Liverpool Law Review. 34, 3, p. 261-289 29 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  11. Published

    Coupling ordination techniques and GAM to spatially predict vegetation assemblages along a climatic gradient in an ENSO-affected region of extremely high climate variability

    Muenchow, J., Feilhauer, H., Bräuning, A., Bayer, F., Rodríguez, E. F., Rodríguez, R. A. & von Wehrden, H., 01.11.2013, In: Journal of Vegetation Science. 24, 6, p. 1154-1166 13 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

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