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

    Symbolische Politik oder echter Einfluss? Die europäische Beschäftigungsstrategie in Deutschland und Frankreich

    Huber, A., 2008, Marburg: Tectum Verlag. 161 p.

    Research output: Books and anthologiesMonographsResearchpeer-review

  3. Published

    Synchronisation und Desynchronisation von Innovationsprozessen? Indikatoren im Feld der Bildung für nachhaltige Entwicklung

    Bormann, I. & Michelsen, G., 2008, In: Umweltpsychologie. 12, 2, p. 43-55 13 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearch

  4. Published

    Szenarienentwicklung für die "nachhaltige Hochschule": ein Beitrag für die Hochschulforschung?!

    Adomßent, M., Albrecht, P., Barth, M., Burandt, S., Franz-Balsen, A., Godemann, J. & Rieckmann, M., 2008, In: Die Hochschule. 17, 1, p. 23-40 18 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  5. Published

    The Business Case for Corporate Societal Engagement: Development and Evaluation of Value Creating Societal Strategies

    Weber, M., 2008, München: oekom verlag GmbH. 304 p.

    Research output: Books and anthologiesMonographsResearch

  6. Published

    The concept of joint production and ecological economics

    Baumgärtner, S., Dyckhoff, H., Faber, M., Proops, J. & Schiller, J., 2008, Recent developments in ecological economics: Vol. 1. Martinez-Alier, J. & Røpke, I. (eds.). Cheltenham [u.a.]: Edward Elgar Publishing, p. 90-97 8 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksContributions to collected editions/anthologiesResearch

  7. Published

    The Emerging Roles of Management for Corporate Sustainability: The Realm of Sustainable Supply Chain Management and the Implications for Sustainability Accounting

    Lee, K.-H., 2008, Proceedings of the 7the Australasian Conference for Social and Environmental Accounting Research (A-CSEAR 2008), 7 - 9 December 2008, Adelaide, South Australia. Burritt, R. L. (ed.). Adelaide: University of South Austrialia, p. 336-350 15 p.

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

  8. Published

    The prospects of product carbon footprints in ERP systems

    Funk, B., Möller, A. & Niemeyer, P., 2008, Environmental informatics and industrial ecology. Möller, A., Page, B. & Schreiber, M. (eds.). Aachen: Shaker Verlag, p. 534-540 7 p.

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

  9. Published

    The restoration of a floodplain in the upper Rhine area: managing the interface of large-scale policy and small-scale implementation

    Kruse, S., 2008, Restoring floodplains in Europe: Policy Contexts and Project Experiences. Moss, T. & Monstadt, J. (eds.). London: IWA Publishing, p. 151-176 26 p. (Water Intelligence Online).

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

  10. Published

    The Role Of The Amu Darya Dams And Reservoirs In Future Water Supply In The Amu Darya Basin

    Olsson, O., Bauer, M., Ikramova, M. & Froebrich, J., 2008, Environmental Problems of Central Asia and their Economic, Social and Security Impacts. Qi, J. & Evered, K. T. (eds.). Dordrecht: Springer, p. 277-292 16 p. (NATO science for peace and security series, Series C: Environmental security).

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksContributions to collected editions/anthologiesResearch

  11. Published

    The Use of Environmental Management Accounting for Investment in and Control of ‘Clean Development Mechanism’ Projects

    Herzig, C., Burritt, R. L. & Bode, S., 2008, Sustainability and Corporate Responsibility Accounting - measuring and managing business benefits: EMAN-EU 2008 Conference, Proceedings. Csutora, M. & Szerenyi, Z. M. (eds.). Budapest: Aula Verlag, p. 119-123 5 p.

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