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

    How to Integrate Refugees Into the Workforce - Different Opportunities for (Social) Entrepreneurship

    Freudenberg, J. & Halberstadt, J., 30.07.2018, In: Problemy zarządzania - Management issues. 16, 1, p. 40-60 21 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  2. Published

    How to identify published articles originating from paper presentations at academic conferences of the Earth System Governance Research Community: Screening and matching guideline

    Newig, J., Rose, M. & Melchior, I. C., 01.01.2024, SSRN Social Science Research Network, 8 p. (SSRN).

    Research output: Working paperWorking papers

  3. Published
  4. Published

    How to evaluate effects of pesticides in terrestrial ecosystems

    Barmaz, S., Brittain, C., Sala, S., Potts, S. G. & Vighi, M., 2010, Atlas of biodiversity risk. Settele, J. (ed.). Sofia: Pensoft Publishers Ltd., p. 218-219 2 p.

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

  5. Published

    How to estimate carabid biomass?—an evaluation of size-weight models for ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) and perspectives for further improvement

    Weiss, F. & Linde, A., 01.08.2022, In: Journal of Insect Conservation. 26, 4, p. 537-548 12 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  6. E-pub ahead of print

    How to Assess Knowledge Cumulation in Environmental Governance Research? Conceptual and Empirical Explorations

    Newig, J. & Rose, M., 11.04.2025, (E-pub ahead of print) In: Environmental Policy and Governance. p. 1-20

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  7. Published
  8. Published

    How Sustainability Accounting contributes to improved Information Management and Management Control

    Zvezdov, D., 2012, 15th EMAN Conference on Environmental and Sustainability Management Accounting: Environmental Management Accounting for a Sustainable Economy. Helsinki: Helsinki Metropolia University of Applied Sciences , p. 13 1 p.

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

  9. Published

    How secondary-school students deal with issues of sustainable development in class*

    Kater-Wettstädt, L., 02.11.2018, In: Environmental Education Research. 24, 11, p. 1565-1580 16 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  10. Published

    How real options and ecological resilience thinking can assist in environmental risk management

    Whitten, S. M., Hertzler, G. & Strunz, S., 01.03.2012, In: Journal of Risk Research. 15, 3, p. 331-346 16 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review