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. Published

    The Diversity of environmental justice: Towards a European Approach

    Elvers, H.-D., Heinrichs, H. & Groß, M., 01.12.2008, In: European Societies. 10, 5, p. 835-856 22 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  2. Published

    The Discipline of Environmental Management Accounting (EMA): A Bibliometric Literature Review

    Schaltegger, S., Gibassier, D. & Zvezdov, D., 2013, EMAN - EU 2013 Conference MATERIAL FLOW COST A CCOUNTING: CONFERENCE PROCEED INGS. Guenther, E. & Bergmann, A. (eds.). Dresden: TU Dresden, Faculty of Business and Economics, p. 1-5 5 p.

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

  3. Published

    The diffusion of sustainable family farming practices in Colombia: an emerging sociotechnical niche?

    Ortíz, W. & Vilsmaier, U., 2016, International Sustainability Transitions Conference. p. 1 - 69 70 p.

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

  4. Published

    The development of an eco-label for software products: A transdisciplinary process?

    Kern, E., 2016, INFORMATIK 2016. Mayr, H. C. & Pinzger, M. (eds.). Bonn: Köllen Verlag, p. 1285-1296 12 p. (Lecture Notes in Informatics (LNI), Proceedings - Series of the Gesellschaft fur Informatik (GI); vol. P-259).

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

  5. Published

    The development and function of anger in childhood and adolescence

    von Salisch, M. & Saarni, C., 2011, Multiple facets of anger: Getting mad or restoring justice?. Pahlavan, F. (ed.). New York: Nova Science Publishers, Inc., p. 81-102 22 p. (Psychology of Emotions, Motivations and Actions).

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksChapterpeer-review

  6. Published

    The depositional environments of Schöningen 13 II-4 and their archaeological implications

    Stahlschmidt, M., Miller, C., Ligouis, B., Goldberg, P., Berna, F., Urban, B. & Conard, N. J., 01.12.2015, In: Journal of Human Evolution. 89, p. 71-91 21 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  7. Published

    The Democratic Capacity of Science Education Or: Is Inclusive Science Education the Contemporary Science Education?

    Abels, S. & Wellensiek, A., 2018, Bildung gewinnt! Annelie Wellensiek zum Gedenken. Hohenester-Pongratz, B. & Kollmann, F. (eds.). Heidelberg: Mattes Verlag, p. 173-184 12 p.

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

  8. Published

    The delay vector variance method and the recurrence quantification analysis of energy markets

    Fianu, E. S., 31.03.2016, In: International Journal of Energy and Statistics. 4, 1, 31 p., 1650001.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  9. Published

    The dark triad and corporate sustainability: An empirical analysis of personality traits of sustainability managers

    Pelster, M. & Schaltegger, S., 01.01.2022, In: Business Ethics, Environment and Responsibility. 31, 1, p. 80-99 20 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  10. Published

    The cuticular profiles of Australian stingless bees are shaped by resin of the eucalypt tree Corymbia torelliana

    Leonhardt, S., Wallace, H. M. & Schmitt, T., 08.2011, In: Austral Ecology. 36, 5, p. 537–543 7 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review