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

    Brominated flame retardants and Dechloranes in European and American eels from glass to silver life stages

    Sühring, R., Byer, J. D., Freese, M., Pohlmann, J. D., Wolschke, H., Möller, A., Hodson, P. V., Alaee, M., Hanel, R. & Ebinghaus, R., 01.12.2014, In: Chemosphere. 116, p. 104-111 8 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  2. Published

    Brominated flame retardants and dechloranes in eels from German Rivers

    Sühring, R., Möller, A., Freese, M., Pohlmann, J. D., Wolschke, H., Sturm, R., Xie, Z., Hanel, R. & Ebinghaus, R., 01.2013, In: Chemosphere. 90, 1, p. 118-124 7 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  3. Published

    Brominated flame retardants and dechlorane plus in the marine atmosphere from Southeast Asia toward Antarctica

    Möller, A., Xie, Z., Cai, M., Sturm, R. & Ebinghaus, R., 20.03.2012, In: Environmental Science & Technology. 46, 6, p. 3141-3148 8 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  4. Published

    Broad values as the basis for understanding deliberation about protected area management

    Goodson, D. J., van Riper, C. J., Andrade, R., Stewart, W., Cebrián-Piqueras, M. A. & Raymond, C. M., 03.2024, In: Sustainability Science. 19, 2, p. 449-467 19 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  5. Published

    Broad-scale geographic patterns in body size and hind wing development of western Palaearctic carabid beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae)

    Homburg, K., Schuldt, A., Drees, C. & Aßmann, T., 02.2013, In: Ecography. 36, 2, p. 166-177 12 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  6. Published

    Broadening the scope of ecosystem services research: Disaggregation as a powerful concept for sustainable natural resource management

    Brück, M., Abson, D. J., Fischer, J. & Schultner, J., 01.02.2022, In: Ecosystem Services. 53, 11 p., 101399.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  7. Published

    Bright Spots for Local WFD Implementation Through Collaboration with Nature Conservation Authorities?

    Schröder, N., Newig, J. & Watson, N., 01.10.2020, In: Water Alternatives. 13, 3, p. 582-617 36 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  8. Published

    Bright spots: seeds of a good Anthropocene

    Bennett, E. M., Solan, M., Biggs, R., McPhearson, T., Norström, A. V., Olsson, P., Pereira, L., Peterson, G. D., Raudsepp-Hearne, C., Biermann, F., Carpenter, S. R., Ellis, E. C., Hichert, T., Galaz, V., Lahsen, M., Milkoreit, M., Martín-López, B., Nicholas, K. A., Preiser, R., Vince, G., Vervoort, J. M. & Xu, J., 01.10.2016, In: Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment. 14, 8, p. 441-448 8 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  9. Published

    Brief for GSDR 2015: Transforming Higher Education for Sustainable Development

    Mader, C. & Rammel, C., 2015, New York: United Nations, 4 p.

    Research output: Working paperWorking papers

  10. Published

    Bridging senses of place and mobilities scholarships to inform social-ecological systems governance: A research agenda

    Gottwald, S., Kołodyńska, I., Buchecker, M., Di Masso, A., Fagerholm, N., Frąckowiak, M., Hakkarainen, V., Kajdanek, K., Lau, U., Manzo, L. C., Ortiz-Przychodzka, S., Pearson, J., Quinn, T., Rogowski, Ł., Stedman, R., Stewart, W. P., Trąbka, A., Williams, D. R., von Wirth, T., Zawieska, J. & Raymond, C. M., 01.06.2024, In: Applied Geography. 167, 13 p., 103286.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review