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. 2008
  2. Published

    Berichterstattung im Lichte der Herausforderungen unternehmerischer Nachhaltigkeit

    Schaltegger, S. & Herzig, C., 2008, Internetbasierte Nachhaltigkeitsberichterstattung: maßgeschneiderte Stakeholder-Kommunikation mit IT . Isenmann, R., Marx Gömez, J. & Amelung, M. (eds.). Berlin: Erich Schmidt Verlag, p. 51-64 14 p.

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

  3. Published
  4. Published
  5. Published

    Biodiversität

    Lanzerath, D., Mutke, J., Barthlott, W., Baumgärtner, S., Becker, C. & Spranger, T. M., 2008, 1. ed. Freiburg, Breisgau: Verlag Karl Alber. 218 p. (Ethik in den Biowissenschaften)

    Research output: Books and anthologiesMonographsResearch

  6. Published

    Care economy: Nachhaltiges Wirtschaften aus feministischer Perspektive

    Gottschlich, D., 2008, Reale Utopien: Perspektiven für eine friedliche und gerechte Welt. p. 123-134 12 p.

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

  7. Published

    CITY:mobil : A Model for Integration in Sustainability Research

    Bergmann, M. & Jahn, T., 2008, Handbook of Transdisciplinary Research. Hadorn, G. H., Hoffmann-Riem, H., Biber-Klemm, S., Großenbacher-Mansuy, W., Joye, D., Pohl, C., Wiesmann, U. & Zemp, E. (eds.). Dordrecht: Springer, p. 89-102 14 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksChapterpeer-review

  8. Published
  9. Published

    Contributions to Sustainability: What Kind of Information is Needed?

    Schaltegger, S., 2008, In: Issues in Social and Environmental Accounting. 2, 1, p. 1-2 2 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  10. Published

    Corporate Environmental Management and Practices of SMEs: The Case of Korean Manufacturing Industry

    Lee, K.-H., 2008, In: Journal of Sustainable Management. 8, 1, p. 73-86

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearch

  11. Published

    Corporate Social Responsibility: Trend oder Modeerscheinung

    Müller, M. (Editor) & Schaltegger, S. (Editor), 2008, München: oekom verlag GmbH. 262 p.

    Research output: Books and anthologiesCollected editions and anthologiesResearch