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

    Wie gesellschaftsfähig ist Natur? Warum der Elbe-Biber nicht Männchen macht

    Mölders, T., 2011, Wissenschaft verstehen: die Preisträger des Wettbewerbs 2010. Hufe, S. (ed.). München: oekom verlag GmbH, p. 19-21 3 p. (Sonderveröffentlichung der Zeitschrift GAIA - Ökologische Perspektiven für Wissenschaft und Gesellschaft).

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

  2. Published

    Wie genau die Welt retten? Denkanstöße zum Club-of-Rome-Bericht "EARTH FOR ALL"

    Lietzke-Prinz, I. (Editor) & Farny, S. (Editor), 04.04.2024, München: oekom verlag GmbH. 228 p.

    Research output: Books and anthologiesCollected editions and anthologiesResearch

  3. Published

    Wiederherstellung degradierter Sandheidelebensräume

    Tischew, S., Dolnik, C., Meyer, F. & Härdtle, W., 2021, In: Natur und Landschaft. 96, 4, p. 184-191 8 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  4. Published

    Wi(e)der die Armut? Positionen zu den Milleniumszielen der Vereinten Nationen

    Kuhn, K. (Editor) & Rieckmann, M. (Editor), 2006, Frankfurt am Main: VAS Verlag für Akademische Schriften. 219 p.

    Research output: Books and anthologiesCollected editions and anthologiesResearch

  5. Published

    Wie aktuell sind Umwelterklärungen und -berichte bezüglich der umweltpolitischen Diskussion? Untersucht am Beispiel von Angaben über CO2-Emissionen und Energieverbrauch

    Hroch, N. & Schaltegger, S., 1999, Lüneburg: Institut für Umweltkommunikation der Universität Lüneburg, 32 p. (INFU-Diskussionsbeiträge; vol. 9/99).

    Research output: Working paperWorking papers

  6. Published

    Widening the evaluative space for ecosystem services: A taxonomy of plural values and valuation methods

    Arias-Arévalo, P., Gómez-Baggethun, E., Martín-López, B. & Pérez-Rincón, M., 01.02.2018, In: Environmental Values. 27, 1, p. 29-53 25 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  7. Published

    Widening global variability in grassland biomass since the 1980s

    MacDougall, A. S., Esch, E., Chen, Q., Carroll, O., Bonner, C., Ohlert, T., Siewert, M., Sulik, J., Schweiger, A., Borer, E. T., Naidu, D., Bagchi, S., Hautier, Y., Wilfahrt, P., Larson, K., Olofsson, J., Cleland, E., Muthukrishnan, R., O’Halloran, L., Alberti, J., Anderson, T. M., Arnillas, C. A., Bakker, J. D., Barrio, I. C., Biederman, L., Boughton, E. H., Brudvig, L. A., Bruschetti, M., Buckley, Y., Bugalho, M. N., Cadotte, M. W., Caldeira, M. C., Catford, J. A., D’Antonio, C., Davies, K., Daleo, P., Dickman, C. R., Donohue, I., DuPre, M. E., Elgersma, K., Eisenhauer, N., Eskelinen, A., Estrada, C., Fay, P. A., Feng, Y., Gruner, D. S., Hagenah, N., Haider, S., Harpole, W. S. & Hersch-Green, E., 10.2024, In: Nature Ecology and Evolution. 8, 10, p. 1877-1888 12 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  8. Published

    Wichtige Einflussfaktoren auf die Gefäßpflanzen-Artenvielfalt von Wäldern

    Schmidt, M., Ellenberg, H., Heuveldop, J., Kriebitzsch, W.-U. & Oheimb, G., 2002, Treffpunkt biologische Vielfalt II: Aktuelle Forschung im Rahmen des Übereinkommens über die biologische Vielfalt vorgestellt auf einer wissenschaftlichen Expertentagung an der Internationalen Naturschutzakademie Insel Vilm vom 23. bis 27. Juli 2001.. Korn, H. & Feit, U. (eds.). Bonn-Bad Godesberg: Bundesamt für Naturschutz, p. 113-118 6 p.

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

  9. Published

    Why protect nature? Rethinking values and the environment

    Chan, K. M. A., Balvanera, P., Benessaiah, K., Chapman, M., Díaz, S., Gómez-Baggethun, E., Gould, R., Hannahs, N., Jax, K., Klain, S., Luck, G. W., Martín-López, B., Muraca, B., Norton, B., Ott, K., Pascual, U., Satterfield, T., Tadaki, M., Taggart, J. & Turner, N., 09.02.2016, In: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (USA). 113, 6, p. 1462-1465 4 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsComments / Debate / ReportsResearch

  10. Published

    Why gender matters for addressing chemical pollution

    Wang, M., Balayannis, A., Rother, H. A., Hemmati, M., Holthaus, A. & Zuin Zeidler, V., 01.09.2024, In: The Lancet Planetary Health. 8, 9, 1 p., e611.

    Research output: Journal contributionsComments / Debate / ReportsResearch