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

    Business Models for Sustainable Innovation: State-of-the-Art and Steps Towards a Research Agenda

    Boons, F. A. A. & Lüdeke-Freund, F., 04.2013, In: Journal of Cleaner Production. 45, p. 9-19 11 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  3. Published

    Collaboration between the natural, social and human sciences in Global Change Research

    Holm, P., Goodsite, M. E., Cloetingh, S. A. P. L., Agnoletti, M., Moldan, B., Lang, D. J., Leemans, R., Moeller, J. O., Buendía, M. P., Pohl, W., Scholz, R. W., Sors, A., Vanheusden, B., Yusoff, K. & Zondervan, R., 04.2013, In: Environmental Science & Policy. 28, Special Issue, p. 25-35 11 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  4. Published

    Environmental Protection of Foreign Firms in Germany: Does the country of origin matter?

    Weche Gelübcke, J. P. & Wedl, I., 04.2013, Lüneburg: Institut für Volkswirtschaftslehre der Universität Lüneburg, 39 p. (Working Paper Series in Economics; no. 267).

    Research output: Working paperWorking papers

  5. Published

    Lipids in preventive dentistry

    Kensche, A., Reich, M., Kümmerer, K., Hannig, M. & Hannig, C., 04.2013, In: Clinical Oral Investigations. 17, 3, p. 669-685 17 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsScientific review articlesResearch

  6. Published

    Many roads lead to sustainability: A process-oriented analysis of change in higher education

    Barth, M., 04.2013, In: International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education. 14, 2, p. 160-175 16 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesTransfer

  7. Published

    US agricultural sector analysis on pesticide externalities – the impact of climate change and a Pigovian tax

    Shakhramanyan, N. G., Schneider, U. A. & McCarl, B. A., 04.2013, In: Climatic Change. 117, 4, p. 711-723 13 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  8. Published
  9. Published

    Wild pollinators enhance fruit set of crops regardless of honey bee abundance

    Garibaldi, L. A., Steffan-Dewenter, I., Winfree, R., Aizen, M. A., Bommarco, R., Cunningham, S. A., Kremen, C., Carvalheiro, L. G., Harder, L. D., Afik, O., Bartomeus, I., Benjamin, F., Boreux, V., Cariveau, D., Chacoff, N. P., Dudenhöffer, J. H., Freitas, B. M., Ghazoul, J., Greenleaf, S., Hipólito, J., Holzschuh, A., Howlett, B., Isaacs, R., Javorek, S. K., Kennedy, C. M., Krewenka, K. M., Krishnan, S., Mandelik, Y., Mayfield, M. M., Motzke, I., Munyuli, T., Nault, B. A., Otieno, M., Petersen, J., Pisanty, G., Potts, S. G., Rader, R., Ricketts, T. H., Rundlöf, M., Seymour, C. L., Schüepp, C., Szentgyörgyi, H., Taki, H., Tscharntke, T., Vergara, C. H., Viana, B. F., Wanger, T. C., Westphal, C., Williams, N. & Klein, A. M., 29.03.2013, In: Science. 340, 6127, p. 1608-1611 4 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  10. Published

    Policy schemes, operational strategies and system integration of residential co-generation fuel cells.

    Pade, L.-L., Schröder, S. T., Münster, M., Birkl, C., Ropenus, S., Morthorst, P. E., Obé, E., Kötter, E., Huber, A., Costa , A. & Kroff , P., 07.03.2013, In: International Journal of Hydrogen Energy. 38, 7, p. 3050–3063 14 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  11. Published

    Synergistic effects of non-Apis bees and honey bees for pollination services

    Brittain, C., Williams, N., Kremen, C. & Klein, A.-M., 07.03.2013, In: Proceedings of the Royal Society B . 280, 1754, p. 2012-2767 7 p., 20122767.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review