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

    Senses of place and mobilities nexus - a scoping literature review

    Kołodyńska, I., Gottwald, S., Jakóbiak, A., Otto, J., Morawska, W. & Raymond, C. M., 08.2025, In: Journal of Environmental Psychology. 105, 13 p., 102658.

    Research output: Journal contributionsScientific review articlesResearch

  2. Published

    Marine biodiversity change impacts relational values: expert survey shows policy mismatch

    Dajka, J. C., Levi, S., Verstraeten, A. M., Menendez, V. A., Smith, M., Snow, B., Vargas-Fonseca, O. A. & Hillebrand, H., 12.2025, In: NPJ Ocean Sustainability. 4, 1, 8 p., 42.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  3. Published

    Gute Betreuung, faire Bewertungen und angemessene Arbeitsbedingungen ermoglichen exzellente Promotionen in der Psychologie: Kommentar der Jungmitgliedervertretung der DGPs zum Positionspapier

    Sperl, M. F. J., Attig, C., Baumgartner, L., Behlau, C., Bergmann, B., Bienefeld, M., Biller, A. M., Brandt, N. D., Buhler, J. L., Frauhammer, L. T., Frick, S., Friehs, M. T., Frischen, U., Handke, L., Hartmann, H., Hosterey, S., Hutmacher, F., Iffland, J. A., Irmer, J. P., Kause, A., Kern, M., Koller, J. E., Mischkowski, D., Musculus, L., Neef, N. E., Neuendorf, C., Nishen, A. K., Possler, D., Ritter, R., Rohr, M., Schmidt, V., Schwartz, B., Sensoy, O., Szota, K., Voormann, A. & Wendt, A. N., 01.07.2025, In: Psychologische Rundschau. 76, 3, p. 196-199 4 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsComments / Debate / ReportsResearch

  4. Accepted/In press

    Blueprint of a smokescreen: Introducing the validated climate disinformation corpus for behavioural research on combating climate disinformation

    Spampatti, T., Brosch, T., Mumenthaler, C. & Hahnel, U. J. J., 2025, (Accepted/In press) In: British Journal of Psychology.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  5. Published

    Inconsistent short-term effects of enhanced structural complexity on soil microbial properties across German forests

    Schwarz, R., Eisenhauer, N., Ammer, C., Bradler, P. M., Decker, O., Delory, B. M., Dietrich, P., Fichtner, A., Huang, Y., Lettenmaier, L., Junginger, M., Mitesser, O., Müller, J., von Oheimb, G., Pierick, K., Scherer-Lorenzen, M. & Cesarz, S., 10.2025, In: Applied Soil Ecology. 214, 13 p., 106335.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  6. Accepted/In press

    Artificial intelligence in sustainable development research

    Gohr, C., Rodríguez Aboytes, J. G., Belomestnykh, S., Berg-Moelleken, D., Chauhan, N., Engler, J.-O., von Heydebreck, L., Hintz, M. J., Kretschmer, M.-F., Krügermeier, C., Meinberg, J., Rau, A.-L., Schwenck, C., Aoulkadi, I., Poll, S., Frank, E., Creutzig, F., Lemke, O., Maushart, M., Pfendtner-Heise, J., Rathgens, J. & von Wehrden, H., 2025, (Accepted/In press) In: Nature Sustainability.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  7. Published

    Within-individual leaf trait response to local light availability and biodiversity in a subtropical forest experiment

    Proß, T., Bruelheide, H. & Haider, S., 18.07.2025, In: Ecology. 106, 7, 17 p., e70160.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  8. Published

    Wissenschaftsorganisationen als Impulsgeber einer Nachhaltigkeitstransformation

    Nölting, B., Kopfmüller, J., Zimmermann, A. B., Bernert, P., Barth, M., Becker, S., Fischer, D., Molitor, H., Pechlaner, H., Schneider, F., Schweizer, P. J., Stamm, C., Wäger, P. & Wilhelm, R., 05.07.2025, In: GAIA - Ecological Perspectives for Science and Society. 34, 2, p. 83-87 5 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  9. Accepted/In press

    Entanglements of knowledge and action in sustainability science: reclaiming reflexivity to embrace the uncomfortable

    Hakkarainen, V. & Lazurko, A., 2025, (Accepted/In press) In: Sustainability Science. 12 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  10. Published

    Integrating sufficiency in the trade and biodiversity agenda of the European Union

    Roux, N., Coenen, J., Fleischmann, B., Cotta, B., Dorninger, C., Erb, K. H., Haberl, H., Kaufmann, L., Mayer, A. & Newig, J., 18.07.2025, In: One Earth. 8, 7, 17 p., 101347.

    Research output: Journal contributionsScientific review articlesResearch

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