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

    Towards the design of active pharmaceutical ingredients mineralizing readily in the environment

    Puhlmann, N., Mols, R., Olsson, O., Slootweg, J. C. & Kümmerer, K., 21.07.2021, In: Green Chemistry . 23, 14, p. 5006-5023 18 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsScientific review articlesResearch

  2. Published

    Towards sustainable land uses within the Elbe river biosphere reserve in Lower Saxony, Germany by means of TerraSAR-X images

    Farghaly, D., Elba, E. & Urban, B., 2016, In: Journal of Geoscience and Environment Protection. 4, 3, p. 97-121 25 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  3. Published

    Towards Sustainable Entrepreneurship: A Value Creating Perspective on Corporate Societal Strategies. Discussion Paper

    Weber, M., 2007, Lüneburg: Centre for Sustainability Management, 48 p.

    Research output: Working paperWorking papers

  4. Published

    Towards productive functions? A systematic review of institutional failure, its causes and consequences

    Derwort, P., Jager, N. & Newig, J., 15.06.2019, In: Policy Sciences. 52, 2, p. 281-298 18 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsScientific review articlesResearch

  5. Published

    Toward spatial fit in the governance of global commodity flows

    Coenen, J., Sonderegger, G., Newig, J., Meyfroidt, P., Challies, E. R. T., Bager, S., Busck-Lumholt, L. M., Corbera, E., Friis, C., Frohn Pedersen, A., Laroche, P. C. S. J., Parra Paitan, C., Qin, S., Roux, N. & Zaehringer, J. G., 07.06.2023, In: Ecology and Society. 28, 2, 18 p., 24.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  6. Published

    Towards more sustainable curricula

    Zuin, V. G. & Kümmerer, K., 01.02.2021, In: Nature Reviews Chemistry. 5, 2, p. 76-77 2 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsComments / Debate / ReportsResearch

  7. Published

    Towards more effective and transferable transition experiments: learning through stratification

    Engler, J.-O., Zimmermann, H., Lang, D. J., Feller, R. & Wehrden, H., 01.11.2019, In: Sustainability Science. 14, 6, p. 1503-1514 12 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  8. Published

    Towards More Credible Sustainability Reporting: From Disclosure to Dialogue

    Kim, K., 2004, Conference proceedings. ERP Environment, p. 184-189 6 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksArticle in conference proceedingsResearch

  9. Published

    Towards greener and sustainable ionic liquids using naturally occurring and nature-inspired pyridinium structures

    Suk, M. & Kümmerer, K., 07.01.2023, In: Green Chemistry . 25, 1, p. 365-374 10 p., 25.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  10. Published

    Towards combined methods for recording ground beetles: pitfall traps, hand picking and sifting in Mediterranean habitats of Israel

    Timm, A., Levanony, T., Dayan, T., Wrase, D. W. & Aßmann, T., 2008, Back to the roots and back to the future: Towards a new synthesis amongst taxonomic, ecological and biogeographical approaches in carabidology. Penev, L., Erwin, T. & Assmann, T. (eds.). Pensoft Publishers Ltd., p. 397-408 12 p. ( Pensoft series faunistica; no. 75).

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksArticle in conference proceedingsResearch