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

    Ignorant or Gatekeeper? What Role do Accountants play in the Sustainability Accounting Practice?

    Schaltegger, S. & Zvezdov, D., 2012, Strategies for Sustainability: Institutional and Organisational Challenges: Proceedings of the 3rd International Sustainability Conference. Daub, C.-H., Burger, P., Scherrer, Y. M. & Frecè, J. T. (eds.). edition gesowip, p. 146-148

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

  2. Published

    If you call for frameworks in sustainability management... editorial to the special issue

    Hörisch, J., Schaltegger, S., Weissbrod, I. & Schreck, P., 01.05.2023, In: Journal of Business Economics : JBE. 93, 4, p. 559-566 8 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsOther (editorial matter etc.)Research

  3. Published

    I enjoy hurting my classmates: On the relation of boredom and sadism in schools

    Pfattheicher, S., Lazarević, L. B., Nielsen, Y. A., Westgate, E. C., Krstić, K. & Schindler, S., 01.02.2023, In: Journal of School Psychology. 96, p. 41-56 16 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  4. Published

    IEA SHC Task 42 / ECES Annex 29 WG A1: Engineering and Processing of PCMs, TCMs and Sorption Materials

    Ristić, A., Furbo, S., Moser, C., Schranzhofer, H., Lazaro, A., Delgado, M., Peñalosa, C., Zalewski, L., Diarce, G., Alkan, C., Gunasekara, S. N., Haussmann, T., Gschwander, S., Rathgeber, C., Schmit, H., Barreneche, C., Cabeza, L., Ferrer, G., Konuklu, Y., Paksoy, H., Rammelberg, H., Munz, G., Herzog, T., Jänchen, J. & Barrio, E. P. D., 01.06.2016, In: Energy Procedia. 91, p. 207-217 11 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsConference article in journalResearchpeer-review

  5. Published

    Identitäten und Identifizierungen: Geschlechter- und Sexualitätenarrangements als Gegenstand der politischen Bildung

    Offen, S., 2015, Identität(en) aus Sicht der Politischen Bildung. Fischer, C., Gerhard, U., Partetzke, M. & Schmitt, S. (eds.). 1 ed. Schwalbach am Taunus: Wochenschau-Verlag, p. 67-81 15 p.

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

  6. Published

    Identifying the Research and Infrastructure Needs for the Global Assessment of Hazardous Chemicals Ten Years after Establishing the Stockholm Convention

    Klánová, J., Diamond, M., Jones, K., Lammel, G., Lohmann, R., Pirrone, N., Scheringer, M., Balducci, C., Bidleman, T., Bláha, K., Bláha, L., Booij, K., Bouwman, H., Breivik, K., Eckhardt, S., Fiedler, H., Garrigues, P., Harner, T., Holoubek, I., Hung, H., MacLeod, M., Magulova, K., Mosca, S., Pistocchi, A., Simonich, S., Smedes, F., Stephanou, E., Sweetman, A., Sebková, K., Venier, M., Vighi, M., Vrana, B., Wania, F., Weber, R. & Weiss, P., 15.09.2011, In: Environmental Science & Technology. 45, 18, p. 7617-7619 3 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsComments / Debate / ReportsResearch

  7. Published

    Identifying past social-ecological thresholds to understand long-term temporal dynamics in Spain

    Santos-Martín, F., García-Mon, B. G., González, J. A., Iniesta-Arandia, I., García-Llorente, M., Montes, C., Ravera, F., López-Santiago, C. A., Carpintero, Ó., Benayas, J. & Martín-López, B., 01.07.2019, In: Ecology and Society. 24, 2, 23 p., 10.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  8. Published

    Identifying governance gaps among interlinked sustainability challenges

    Bergsten, A., Jiren, T. S., Leventon, J., Dorresteijn, I., Schultner, J. & Fischer, J., 01.01.2019, In: Environmental Science and Policy. 91, p. 27-38 12 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  9. Published

    Identifying core habitat before it's too late: The case of Bombina variegata, an internationally endangered amphibian

    Scheele, B. C., Boyd, C. E., Fischer, J., Fletcher, A. W., Hanspach, J. & Hartel, T., 01.03.2014, In: Biodiversity and Conservation. 23, 3, p. 775-780 6 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  10. Published

    Identifizierung und Bewertung ausgewählter Arzneimittel und ihrer Metaboliten (Ab- und Umbauprodukte) im Wasserkreislauf

    Kümmerer, K., Schuster, A., Längin, A., Happel, O., Thoma, A., Schneider, K., Hassauer, M., Gartiser, S. & Hafner, C., 01.08.2011, Dessau-Roßlau: Umweltbundesamt, 195 p. (Texte; vol. 46/2011).

    Research output: Working paperProject reportsTransfer