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 patterns of curriculum change processes that embed sustainability in higher education institutions

    Weiss, M., Barth, M. & von Wehrden, H., 01.09.2021, In: Sustainability Science. 16, 5, p. 1579-1593 15 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  2. Published

    sPlotOpen – An environmentally balanced, open-access, global dataset of vegetation plots

    Sabatini, F. M., Lenoir, J., Hattab, T., Arnst, E. A., Chytrý, M., Dengler, J., De Ruffray, P., Hennekens, S. M., Jandt, U., Jansen, F., Jiménez-Alfaro, B., Kattge, J., Levesley, A., Pillar, V. D., Purschke, O., Sandel, B., Sultana, F., Aavik, T., Aćić, S., Acosta, A. T. R., Agrillo, E., Alvarez, M., Apostolova, I., Arfin Khan, M. A. S., Arroyo, L., Attorre, F., Aubin, I., Banerjee, A., Bauters, M., Bergeron, Y., Bergmeier, E., Biurrun, I., Bjorkman, A. D., Bonari, G., Bondareva, V., Brunet, J., Čarni, A., Casella, L., Cayuela, L., Černý, T., Chepinoga, V., Csiky, J., Ćušterevska, R., De Bie, E., de Gasper, A. L., De Sanctis, M., Dimopoulos, P., Dolezal, J., Dziuba, T., El-Sheikh, M. A. E. R. M., Enquist, B., Ewald, J., Fazayeli, F., Field, R., Finckh, M., Gachet, S., Galán-de-Mera, A., Garbolino, E., Gholizadeh, H., Giorgis, M., Golub, V., Alsos, I. G., Grytnes, J. A., Guerin, G. R., Gutiérrez, A. G., Haider, S., Hatim, M. Z., Hérault, B., Hinojos Mendoza, G., Hölzel, N., Homeier, J., Hubau, W., Indreica, A., Janssen, J. A. M., Jedrzejek, B., Jentsch, A., Jürgens, N., Kącki, Z., Kapfer, J., Karger, D. N., Kavgacı, A., Kearsley, E., Kessler, M., Khanina, L., Killeen, T., Korolyuk, A., Kreft, H., Kühl, H. S., Kuzemko, A., Landucci, F., Lengyel, A., Lens, F., Lingner, D. V., Liu, H., Lysenko, T., Mahecha, M. D., Marcenò, C., Martynenko, V., Moeslund, J. E., Monteagudo Mendoza, A., Mucina, L., Müller, J. V., Munzinger, J., Naqinezhad, A., Noroozi, J., Nowak, A., Onyshchenko, V., Overbeck, G. E., Pärtel, M., Pauchard, A., Peet, R. K., Peñuelas, J., Pérez-Haase, A., Peterka, T., Petřík, P., Peyre, G., Phillips, O. L., Prokhorov, V., Rašomavičius, V., Revermann, R., Rivas-Torres, G., Rodwell, J. S., Ruprecht, E., Rūsiņa, S., Samimi, C., Schmidt, M., Schrodt, F., Shan, H., Shirokikh, P., Šibík, J., Šilc, U., Sklenář, P., Škvorc, Ž., Sparrow, B., Sperandii, M. G., Stančić, Z., Svenning, J. C., Tang, Z., Tang, C. Q., Tsiripidis, I., Vanselow, K. A., Vásquez Martínez, R., Vassilev, K., Vélez-Martin, E., Venanzoni, R., Vibrans, A. C., Violle, C., Virtanen, R., von Wehrden, H., Wagner, V., Walker, D. A., Waller, D. M., Wang, H. F., Wesche, K., Whitfeld, T. J. S., Willner, W., Wiser, S. K., Wohlgemuth, T., Yamalov, S., Zobel, M. & Bruelheide, H., 09.2021, In: Global Ecology and Biogeography. 30, 9, p. 1740-1764 25 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  3. Published

    Editorial: Sustainable public administration

    Heinrichs, H. & Laws, N., 01.06.2021, In: Sustainability. 13, 11, 3 p., 6382.

    Research output: Journal contributionsOther (editorial matter etc.)Research

  4. Published

    Leveraging Biodiversity Action From Plural Values: Transformations of Governance Systems

    Leventon, J., Duşe, I. A. & Horcea-Milcu, A. I., 04.06.2021, In: Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution. 9, 609853.

    Research output: Journal contributionsScientific review articlesResearch

  5. Published

    The effect of industrialization and globalization on domestic land-use: A global resource footprint perspective

    Dorninger, C., von Wehrden, H., Krausmann, F., Bruckner, M., Feng, K., Hubacek, K., Erb, K. H. & Abson, D. J., 01.07.2021, In: Global Environmental Change. 69, 21 p., 102311.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  6. Published

    “Take Care of You” – Efficacy of integrated, minimal-guidance, internet-based self-help for reducing co-occurring alcohol misuse and depression symptoms in adults: Results of a three-arm randomized controlled trial

    Baumgartner, C., Schaub, M. P., Wenger, A., Malischnig, D., Augsburger, M., Lehr, D., Blankers, M., Ebert, D. D. & Haug, S., 01.08.2021, In: Drug and Alcohol Dependence. 225, 10 p., 108806.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  7. Published

    Spent mushroom substrate and sawdust to produce mycelium-based thermal insulation composites

    Schritt, H., Vidi, S. & Pleissner, D., 01.09.2021, In: Journal of Cleaner Production. 313, 8 p., 127910.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  8. Published

    Dinotefuran alters Collembola-fungi-bacteria interactions that control mineralization of maize and soil organic carbon

    Yu, Z., Schmidt, O., Zhao, Y., Liu, M., Kumar, A., Luo, Y. & Xu, J., 15.09.2021, In: Journal of Hazardous Materials. 418, 11 p., 126391.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  9. Published

    Diversity lost: COVID-19 as a phenomenon of the total environment

    Cazzolla Gatti, R., Menéndez, L. P., Laciny, A., Bobadilla Rodríguez, H., Bravo Morante, G., Carmen, E., Dorninger, C., Fabris, F., Grunstra, N. D. S., Schnorr, S. L., Stuhlträger, J., Villanueva Hernandez, L. A., Jakab, M., Sarto-Jackson, I. & Caniglia, G., 20.02.2021, In: Science of the Total Environment. 756, 14 p., 144014.

    Research output: Journal contributionsComments / Debate / ReportsResearch

  10. Published

    Scientists’ Responsibility for Global Futures

    Caniglia, G., Zenk, L., Schernhammer, E., Bertau, M., Steiner, G., Kainz, M., Jaeger, C., Schlosser, P. & Laubichler, M. D., 22.01.2021, In: Science & Diplomacy. 2021, Special Issue Januar/2021, p. online

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review