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

    The valuation of ecosystem services

    Barbier, E. B., Baumgärtner, S., Chopra, K., Costello, C., Duraiappah, A., Hassan, R., Kinzig, A. P., Lehman, M., Pascual, U., Polasky, S. & Perrings, C., 30.07.2009, Biodiversity, ecosystem functioning, and human wellbeing: An Ecological and Economic Perspective. Naeem, S., Bunker, D. E., Hector, A., Loreau, M. & Perrings, C. (eds.). Oxford [u.a.]: Oxford University Press, p. 248-262 15 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksChapterpeer-review

  2. Published

    The use of player physical and technical skill match activity profiles to predict position in the Australian Football League draft

    Woods, C. T., Veale, J. P., Collier, N. & Robertson, S., 16.02.2017, In: Journal of Sports Sciences. 35, 4, p. 325-330 6 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  3. Published

    The Use of Environmental Management Accounting for Investment in and Control of ‘Clean Development Mechanism’ Projects

    Herzig, C., Burritt, R. L. & Bode, S., 2008, Sustainability and Corporate Responsibility Accounting - measuring and managing business benefits: EMAN-EU 2008 Conference, Proceedings. Csutora, M. & Szerenyi, Z. M. (eds.). Budapest: Aula Verlag, p. 119-123 5 p.

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

  4. Published
  5. Published

    The urgent need for designing greener drugs

    Brodin, T., Bertram, M. G., Arnold, K. E., Boxall, A. B. A., Brooks, B. W., Cerveny, D., Jörg, M., Kidd, K. A., Lertxundi, U., Martin, J. M., May, L. T., McCallum, E. S., Michelangeli, M., Tyler, C. R., Wong, B. B. M., Kümmerer, K. & Orive, G., 08.2024, In: Nature Sustainability. 7, 8, p. 949-951 3 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsComments / Debate / ReportsResearch

  6. Published

    The Upcycle: Beyond sustainability Designing for abundance

    Braungart, M. & McDonough, W., 13.04.2013, New York : North Point Press. 227 p.

    Research output: Books and anthologiesBook

  7. Published

    The tyranny of coarse scales in sustainability science and policy

    Fischer, J., 15.02.2016

    Research output: other publicationsArticles in scientific forums or blogsResearch

  8. Published

    The traditional ecological knowledge conundrum

    Hartel, T., Fischer, J., Shumi, G. & Apollinaire, W., 01.03.2023, In: Trends in Ecology & Evolution. 38, 3, p. 211-214 4 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearch

  9. Published

    The trade-off between phosphorus recycling and health protection during the BSE crisis in Switzerland: A "disposal dilemma"

    Lamprecht, H., Lang, D., Binder, C. R. & Scholz, R. W., 06.2011, In: GAIA. 20, 2, p. 112-121 10 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  10. Published

    The tiger beetles (Coleoptera, Cicindelidae) of the southern Levant and adjacent territories: From cybertaxonomy to conservation biology

    Assmann, T., Boutaud, E., Buse, J., Gebert, J., Drees, C., Friedman, A. L. L., Khoury, F., Marcus, T., Orbach, E., Renan, I., Schmidt, C. & Zumstein, P., 05.02.2018, In: ZooKeys. 2018, 734, p. 43-103 61 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review