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. 2022
  2. Published

    Positive intercropping effects on biomass production are species-specific and involve rhizosphere enzyme activities: Evidence from a field study

    Kumar, A., Blagodaskaya, E., Dippold, M. A. & Temperton, V., 01.12.2022, In: Soil Ecology Letters. 4, 4, p. 444-453 10 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  3. Published

    Recycling of organic residues to produce insulation composites: A review

    Schritt, H. & Pleissner, D., 01.12.2022, In: Cleaner Waste Systems. 3, 12 p., 100023.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  4. Published

    ReSurveyGermany: Vegetation-plot time-series over the past hundred years in Germany

    Jandt, U., Bruelheide, H., Berg, C., Bernhardt-Römermann, M., Blüml, V., Bode, F., Dengler, J., Diekmann, M., Dierschke, H., Doerfler, I., Döring, U., Dullinger, S., Härdtle, W., Haider, S., Heinken, T., Horchler, P., Jansen, F., Kudernatsch, T., Kuhn, G., Lindner, M., Matesanz, S., Metze, K., Meyer, S., Müller, F., Müller, N., Naaf, T., Peppler-Lisbach, C., Poschlod, P., Roscher, C., Rosenthal, G., Rumpf, S. B., Schmidt, W., Schrautzer, J., Schwabe, A., Schwartze, P., Sperle, T., Stanik, N., Stroh, H. G., Storm, C., Voigt, W., von Heßberg, A., von Oheimb, G., Wagner, E. R., Wegener, U., Wesche, K., Wittig, B. & Wulf, M., 01.12.2022, In: Scientific data. 9, 1, 13 p., 631.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  5. Published

    Rezension: Philip Wallmeier, 2021, Rückzug als Widerstand. Dissidente Lebensformen in der globalen Politik

    Möller, S., 01.12.2022, In: Ökologisches Wirtschaften. 37, 4, p. 53-54 2 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsCritical reviewsResearch

  6. Published

    Strategic alliances for corporate sustainability innovation: The ‘how’ and ‘when’ of learning processes

    Hübel, C., Weissbrod, I. & Schaltegger, S., 01.12.2022, In: Long Range Planning. 55, 6, 20 p., 102200.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  7. Published

    Facilitating stress prevention in micro and small-sized enterprises: protocol for a mixed method study to evaluate the effectiveness and implementation process of targeted web-based interventions

    Engels, M., Boß, L., Engels, J., Kuhlmann, R., Kuske, J., Lepper, S., Lesener, L., Pavlista, V., Diebig, M., Lunau, T., Ruhle, S. A., Zapkau, F. B., Angerer, P., Hoewner, J., Lehr, D., Schwens, C., Süß, S., Wulf, I. C. & Dragano, N., 12.2022, In: BMC Public Health. 22, 1, 13 p., 591.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  8. Published

    Förderung von Mehrwegverpackungssystemen zur Verringerung des Verpackungsverbrauchs – Mögliche Maßnahmen zur Etablierung, Verbreitung und Optimierung von Mehrwegsystemen: Teilbericht I

    Rödig, L., Jepsen, D., Falkenstein, A., Zimmermann, T., Hauschke, F., Cayé, N., Schüler, K., Burger, A., Schomerus, T. & Jacobj, H., 12.2022, Dessau-Roßlau: Umweltbundesamt, 247 p. (Texte/Umweltbundesamt; vol. 148).

    Research output: Working paperResearch communication reportsResearch

  9. Published

    Reflections on educational leadership for sustainability: a Brazilian case study

    Sudan, D. C. & Zuin, V. G., 12.2022, In: Discover Sustainability. 3, 1, 13 p., 4.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  10. Published

    Reviewing relational values for future research: insights from the coast

    Riechers, M., Betz, L., Gould, R. K., Loch, T. K., Lam, D. P. M., Lazzari, N., Martín-López, B. & Sala, J. E., 12.2022, In: Ecology and Society. 27, 4, 18 p., 44.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  11. Published

    The influence of sustainability knowledge and attitude on sustainable intention and behaviour of Malaysian and Indonesian undergraduate students

    Saleh, M. S. M., Mehellou, A., Huang, M. & Briandana, R., 12.2022, In: Research in Comparative and International Education. 17, 4, p. 677-693 17 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearch