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

    Systematisierung ökonomischer Risiken durch globale Umweltprobleme

    Figge, F., 1997, In: Zeitschrift für angewandte Umweltforschung. 10, 2, p. 256-266 11 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  2. Published

    Systematic student-driven literature reviews in sustainability science: An effective way to merge research and teaching

    Abson, D. J., Gralla, F., Lang, D. J., Rau, A. L., von Wehrden, H., Lüderitz, C. & Meyer, M., 15.04.2016, In: Journal of Cleaner Production. 119, p. 229-235 7 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  3. Published

    Systematic learning in water governance: insights from five local adaptive management projects for water quality innovation

    Kochskämper, E., Koontz, T. M. & Newig, J., 03.2021, In: Ecology and Society. 26, 1, 13 p., 22.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  4. Published

    Systematic distributions of interaction strengths across tree interaction networks yield positive diversity–productivity relationships

    Yu, W., Albert, G., Rosenbaum, B., Schnabel, F., Bruelheide, H., Connolly, J., Härdtle, W., von Oheimb, G., Trogisch, S., Rüger, N. & Brose, U., 01.2024, In: Ecology Letters. 27, 1, 11 p., e14338.

    Research output: Journal contributionsComments / Debate / ReportsResearch

  5. Published

    Systemanalyse für Softwaresysteme

    Bonin, H. E. G., 10.08.2006, Lüneburg: Universität Lüneburg, 199 p. (Final; vol. 16, no. 1).

    Research output: Working paperWorking papers

  6. Published

    Synthesis, self-assembly, bacterial and fungal toxicity, and preliminary biodegradation studies of a series of L-phenylalanine-derived surface-active ionic liquids

    Kapitanov, I. V., Jordan, A., Karpichev, Y., Spulak, M., Perez, L., Kellett, A., Kümmerer, K. & Gathergood, N., 07.04.2019, In: Green Chemistry . 21, 7, p. 1777-1794 18 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  7. Published

    Synthesis of Room-Temperature Ionic Liquids with the Weakly Coordinating [Al(ORF)(4)](-) Anion (R-F = C(H)(CF3)(2)) and the Determination of Their Principal Physical Properties

    Bulut, S., Klose, P., Huang, M.-M., Weingartner, H., Dyson, P. J., Laurenczy, G., Friedrich, C., Menz, J., Kummerer, K. & Krossing, I., 22.11.2010, In: Chemistry - A European Journal. 16, 44, p. 13139-13154 16 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  8. Published

    Syntheses of retipolide E and ornatipolide, 14-membered biaryl-ether macrolactones from mushrooms

    Ingerl, A., Justus, K., Hellwig, V. & Steglich, W., 09.07.2007, In: Tetrahedron. 63, 28, p. 6548-6557 10 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearch

  9. Published

    Synergistic effects of non-Apis bees and honey bees for pollination services

    Brittain, C., Williams, N., Kremen, C. & Klein, A.-M., 07.03.2013, In: Proceedings of the Royal Society B . 280, 1754, p. 2012-2767 7 p., 20122767.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  10. Published