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

    Temporäre Nutzungen: Stadtgestalt zwischen Selbstorganisation und Steuerung

    Kruse, S. & Steglich, A., 2006, Lüneburg: Universität Lüneburg, 20 p. (Werkstattberichte Umweltstrategien; no. 3).

    Research output: Working paperWorking papers

  2. Published

    Temporäre Nutzungen: Stadtgestalt zwischen Selbstorganisation und Steuerung

    Kruse, S. & Steglich, A., 2006, Dissidente Praktiken: Erfahrungen mit herrschafts- und warenkritischer Selbstorganisation. Möller, C., Peters, U. & Vellay, I. (eds.). Königstein: Ulrike Helmer Verlag, p. 73-92 19 p.

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

  3. Published

    Temporal variations of perfluoroalkyl substances and polybrominated diphenyl ethers in alpine snow

    Kirchgeorg, T., Dreyer, A., Gabrieli, J., Kehrwald, N., Sigl, M., Schwikowski, M., Boutron, C., Gambaro, A., Barbante, C. & Ebinghaus, R., 01.07.2013, In: Environmental Pollution. 178, p. 367-374 8 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  4. Published

    Temporal variability in native plant composition clouds impact of increasing non-native richness along elevational gradients in Tenerife

    Buhaly, M., Ratier Backes, A., Arévalo, J. R. & Haider, S., 01.03.2025, In: Perspectives in Plant Ecology, Evolution and Systematics. 66, 10 p., 125845.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  5. Published

    Temporal trends of polyfluoroalkyl compounds in harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) from the German Bight, 1999-2008

    Ahrens, L., Siebert, U. & Ebinghaus, R., 01.06.2009, In: Chemosphere. 76, 2, p. 151-158 8 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  6. Published

    Temporal patterns in ecosystem services research: A review and three recommendations

    Rau, A.-L., Burkhardt, V., Dorninger, C., Hjort, C., Ibe, K., Keßler, L., Kristensen, J. A., McRobert, A., Sidemo-Holm, W., Zimmermann, H., Abson, D., Wehrden, H. & Ekroos, J., 01.08.2020, In: Ambio. 49, 8, p. 1377-1393 17 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsScientific review articlesResearch

  7. Published

    Temporal Dynamics of Ecosystem Services

    Rau, A. L., von Wehrden, H. & Abson, D. J., 01.09.2018, In: Ecological Economics. 151, p. 122-130 9 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  8. Published

    Temporal dynamics and ecotoxicological risk assessment of personal care products, phthalate ester plasticizers, and organophosphorus flame retardants in water from Lake Victoria, Uganda

    Nantaba, F., Palm, W. U., Wasswa, J., Bouwman, H., Kylin, H. & Kümmerer, K., 01.01.2021, In: Chemosphere. 262, 11 p., 127716.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  9. E-pub ahead of print

    Temporal changes in taxonomic and functional alpha and beta diversity across tree communities in subtropical Atlantic forests

    Freitag Kramer, J. M., Bordin, K. M., Bergamin, R. S., Klipel, J., Picolotto, R. C., Zanini, K. J., Zwiener, V. P. & Müller, S. C., 25.02.2025, (E-pub ahead of print) In: Oikos. 15 p., e10961.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  10. Published

    Temperature regimes and aphid density interactions differentially influence VOC emissions in Arabidopsis

    Truong, D. H., Delory, B. M., Vanderplanck, M., Brostaux, Y., Vandereycken, A., Heuskin, S., Delaplace, P., Francis, F. & Lognay, G., 08.2014, In: Arthropod-Plant Interactions : an international journal devoted to studies on interactions of insects, mites and other anthropods with plants. 8, 4, p. 317-327 11 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review