School of Sustainability
Organisational unit: Research School
- Centre for Sustainability Management (CSM)
- Institute of Ecology
- Institute of Ethics and Transdisciplinary Sustainability Research
- Institute of Sustainability Governance
- Institute of Sustainability Material Flows and Circularity
- Institute of Sustainability Psychology
- Institute of Sustainable Chemistry
- Social-Ecological Systems Institute (SESI)
- Sustainability Education and Transdisciplinary Research Institute
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.
- Published
Cascading effects of tree diversity loss on herbivore-parasitoid interactions
Wang, M. Q., Zhang, K., Albert, G., Haider, S., Li, Y., Chen, J. T., Davrinche, A., Zhou, Q. S., Luo, A., Proß, T., Ma, K., Bruelheide, H., Liu, X., Zhu, C. D. & Schuldt, A., 11.2025, In: Biological Conservation. 311, 10 p., 111418.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
- Published
Engagement for genetic modification technologies in conservation: For whom, how, and for what ends?
Bülow, F., Nissen, S., Black, A. & Taitingfong, R., 09.2025, In: Environmental Science & Policy. 2025, 171, p. 104190Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
- Published
Limited carbon sequestration potential from global ecosystem restoration
Tölgyesi, C., Csikós, N., Temperton, V. M., Buisson, E., Silveira, F. A. O., Lehmann, C. E. R., Török, P., Bátori, Z. & Bede-Fazekas, Á., 08.2025, In: Nature Geoscience. 18, 8, p. 761-768 8 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
- Accepted/In press
New draft law on environmental licensing is a major threat to the Brazilian ecosystems and can hinder ecological restoration efforts
Weidlich, E. W. A., de Morae, L. F. D. & Engel, V. L., 2025, (Accepted/In press) In: Restoration Ecology. 1 p., e70171.Research output: Journal contributions › Other (editorial matter etc.) › Research
- Published
Framing the relationship between justice and ecosystem services: A systematic review
Locatelli, B., Benra, F., Geneletti, D., Loft, L., Loos, J., Schröter, B., Winkler, K. & Zoderer, B. M., 08.2025, In: Ecosystem Services. 74, 14 p., 101755.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
- Published
Engaging with justice in integrated landscape approaches
Zafra-Calvo, N., Altmann, B. A., Chowdhury, K., Cortes-Capano, G., Flinzberger, L., Heindorf, C., Huber, J., Jay, M., Kmoch, L. M., Polas, A. B., Svobodova, K., Thapa, P. & Plieninger, T., 07.2025, In: Ecology and Society. 30, 3, 30 p., 6.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
- Published
Foliar Endophytic Fungal Communities Are Driven by Leaf Traits—Evidence From a Temperate Tree Diversity Experiment
Köhler, M., Castro Sánchez-Bermejo, P., Hähn, G., Ferlian, O., Eisenhauer, N., Wubet, T., Haider, S. & Bruelheide, H., 07.2025, In: Ecology and Evolution. 15, 7, 15 p., e71691.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
- 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 contributions › Scientific review articles › Research
- 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 contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
- 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 contributions › Comments / Debate / Reports › Research