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

    Local food sovereignty for global food security? Highlighting interplay challenges

    Leventon, J. & Laudan, J., 10.2017, In: Geoforum. 85, p. 23-26 4 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsScientific review articlesResearch

  2. Published

    Local and landscape responses of biodiversity in calcareous grasslands

    Loos, J., Krauss, J., Lyons, A., Föst, S., Ohlendorf, C., Racky, S., Röder, M., Hudel, L., Herfert, V. & Tscharntke, T., 07.2021, In: Biodiversity and Conservation. 30, 8-9, p. 2415-2432 18 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  3. Published

    Local and landscape level variables influence butterfly diversity in critically endangered South African renosterveld

    Topp, E. & Loos, J., 15.04.2019, In: Journal of Insect Conservation. 23, 2, p. 225-237 13 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  4. Published

    Lob der Vielfalt

    Altner, G., Leitschuh, H., Michelsen, G., Simonis, U. E. & Weizsäcker, E. U. V., 2008, Stuttgart: S. Hirzel Verlag. 248 p. (Jahrbuch Ökologie ...)

    Research output: Books and anthologiesSpecial Journal issueResearch

  5. Published

    Lobbyismus hacken: Gemeinwohlorientierte, transparente und transformative Politikberatung

    Möller, S. & Spribille, A., 01.02.2024, Organisationen hacken: Einfallstore in eine nachhaltige Arbeitswelt. Hochmann, L. & Möller, S. (eds.). München: oekom verlag GmbH, p. 313-329 17 p.

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

  6. Published

    Lobbying the ‘Energiewende’: Assessing the effectiveness of strategies to promote the renewable energy business in Germany

    Sühlsen, K. & Hisschemöller, M., 06.2014, In: Energy Policy. 69, p. 316-325 10 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  7. Published

    Living on the edge: Rapid assessment of the mammal community in a coffee forest in south-western Ethiopia

    Rodrigues, P., Dorresteijn, I., Senbeta, F. & Fischer, J., 06.2019, In: African Journal of Ecology. 57, 2, p. 279-285 7 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsComments / Debate / ReportsResearch

  8. Published

    Living Labs for Product Circularity: Learnings from the ‘Innovation Network aiming at Sustainable Smartphones’

    Revellio, F., Hansen, E. & Schaltegger, S., 2021, PLATE – Product lifetimes and the environment: 3rd PLATE Conference, September 18–20, 2019 Berlin, Germany. Nissen, N. F. & Jaeger-Erben, M. (eds.). Berlin: Universitätsverlag der TU Berlin, p. 669-676 8 p.

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

  9. Published

    Living in Heterogeneous Woodlands - Are Habitat Continuity or Quality Drivers of Genetic Variability in a Flightless Ground Beetle?

    Marcus, T., Boch, S., Durka, W., Fischer, M., Gossner, M. M., Müller, J., Schöning, I., Weisser, W. W., Drees, C. & Assmann, T., 07.12.2015, In: PLoS ONE. 10, 12, 18 p., e0144217.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  10. Published

    Livestock grazing disrupts plant-insect interactions on salt marshes

    Rickert, C., Fichtner, A. & van Klink, R., 03.2018, In: Insect Conservation and Diversity. 11, 2, p. 152-161 10 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review