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

    Ecopreneurship fördern: nachhaltige Entwicklung als Prozess der Unternehmensentwicklung

    Petersen, H. & Schaltegger, S., 01.03.2002, In: Ökologisches Wirtschaften. 17, 1, p. 27-28 2 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearch

  2. Published

    Ecopreneurship and Competitive Strategies: Striving for Market Leadership by Promoting Sustainability

    Petersen, H., 2006, Managing the Business Case for Sustainability: The Integration of Social, Environmental and Economic Performance. Schaltegger, S. & Wagner, M. (eds.). Sheffield: Greenleaf Publishing, p. 398-411 14 p.

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

  3. Published

    Ecopreneurship: nachhaltiges Wirtschaften aus der Unternehmerperspektive

    Schaltegger, S. & Petersen, H., 2002, Hagen: FernUniversität in Hagen.

    Research output: Books and anthologiesCompendium/lecture notesEducation

  4. Published

    Ecopreneure haben eine Schlüsselrolle

    Petersen, H. & Schaltegger, S., 2002, In: Umwelt-Focus. 6, p. 13-15 3 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesTransfer

  5. Published

    "Ecopreneure": nach der Dekade des Umweltmanagements das Jahrzehnt des nachhaltigen Unternehmertums?

    Schaltegger, S. & Petersen, H., 2002, In: Aus Politik und Zeitgeschichte. 52, 31/32, p. 37-46 10 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearch

  6. Published

    Eco-pharma dilemma: Navigating environmental sustainability trade-offs within the lifecycle of pharmaceuticals – A comment

    Moermond, C. T. A., Puhlmann, N., Pieters, L., Matharu, A., Boone, L., Dobbelaere, M., Proquin, H., Kümmerer, K., Ragas, A. M. J., Vidaurre, R., Venhuis, B. & De Smedt, D., 01.02.2025, In: Sustainable Chemistry and Pharmacy. 43, 10 p., 101893.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  7. Published

    Economics Today: Konsens und Kontroverse in der modernen Ökonomie

    Brunetti, A. (Editor), Kugler, P. (Editor), Schaltegger, S. (Editor) & Weder, B. (Editor), 1998, Zürich: Verlag Neue Zürcher Zeitung. 256 p.

    Research output: Books and anthologiesCollected editions and anthologiesResearch

  8. Published

    Economics of Life Cycle Assessment: Inefficiency of the Present Approach

    Schaltegger, S., 1997, In: Business Strategy and the Environment. 6, 1, p. 1-8 8 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  9. Published

    Economics of Life Cycle Assessment: Inefficiency of the Present Approach

    Schaltegger, S., 1995, Basel: Wirtschaftswissenschaftliches Zentrum (WWZ) der Universität Basel, 11 p. (WWZ-Discussion Paper; no. 9515).

    Research output: Working paperWorking papers

  10. Published

    Economic gain, stability of pollination and bee diversity decrease from southern to northern Europe

    Leonhardt, S., Gallai, N., Garibaldi, L. A., Kuhlmann, M. & Klein, A.-M., 09.2013, In: Basic and Applied Ecology. 14, 6, p. 461-471 11 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review