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
Key knowledge gaps to achieve global sustainability goals
Mastrángelo, M. E., Pérez-Harguindeguy, N., Enrico, L., Bennett, E., Lavorel, S., Cumming, G. S., Abeygunawardane, D., Amarilla, L. D., Burkhard, B., Egoh, B. N., Frishkoff, L., Galetto, L., Huber, S., Karp, D. S., Ke, A., Kowaljow, E., Kronenburg-García, A., Locatelli, B., Martín-López, B., Meyfroidt, P., Mwampamba, T. H., Nel, J., Nicholas, K. A., Nicholson, C., Oteros-Rozas, E., Rahlao, S. J., Raudsepp-Hearne, C., Ricketts, T., Shrestha, U. B., Torres, C., Winkler, K. J. & Zoeller, K., 01.12.2019, In: Nature Sustainability. 2, 12, p. 1115-1121 7 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
- Published
Conflicts over GMOs and their Contribution to Food Democracy
Friedrich, B., Hackfort, S. K., Boyer, M. & Gottschlich, D., 28.10.2019, In: Politics and Governance. 7, 4, p. 165-177 13 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
- Published
Woody plant use and management in relation to property rights: a social-ecological case study from southwestern Ethiopia
Shumi, G., Dorresteijn, I., Schultner, J., Hylander, K., Senbeta, F., Hanspach, J., Ango, T. G. & Fischer, J., 14.10.2019, In: Ecosystems and People. 15, 1, p. 303-316 14 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
- Published
Continuous pretreatment, hydrolysis, and fermentation of organic residues for the production of biochemicals
Peinemann, J. C. & Pleißner, D., 01.2020, In: Bioresource Technology. 295, 8 p., 122256.Research output: Journal contributions › Scientific review articles › Research
- Published
Substrate preference determines macrofungal biogeography in the greater Mekong Sub-Region
Ye, L., Li, H., Mortimer, P. E., Xu, J., Gui, H., Karunarathna, S. C., Kumar, A., Hyde, K. D. & Shi, L., 01.10.2019, In: Forests. 10, 10, 14 p., 824.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
- Published
How does sustainability become professionally relevant? Exploring the role of sustainability conceptions in first year students
Sundermann, A. & Fischer, D., 01.10.2019, In: Sustainability. 11, 19, 22 p., 5155.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
- Published
Artful and sensory sustainability science: Exploring novel methodological perspectives
Heinrichs, H. & Kagan, S., 30.09.2019, In: Journal of Environmental Management and Sustainability. 8, 3, p. 431-442 12 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
- Published
Comment on "The global tree restoration potential"
Veldman, J. W., Aleman, J. C., Alvarado, S. T., Anderson, T. M., Archibald, S., Bond, W. J., Boutton, T. W., Buchmann, N., Buisson, E., Canadell, J. G., de Sá Dechoum, M., Diaz-Toribio, M. H., Durigan, G., Ewel, J. J., Fernandes, G. W., Fidelis, A., Fleischman, F., Good, S. P., Griffith, D. M., Hermann, J.-M., Hoffmann, W. A., Le Stradic, S., Lehmann, C. E. R., Mahy, G., Nerlekar, A. N., Nippert, J. B., Noss, R. F., Osborne, C. P., Overbeck, G. E., Parr, C. L., Pausas, J. G., Pennington, R. T., Perring, M. P., Putz, F. E., Ratnam, J., Sankaran, M., Schmidt, I. B., Schmitt, C. B., Silveira, F. A. O., Staver, A. C., Stevens, N., Still, C. J., Strömberg, C. A. E., Temperton, V. M., Varner, J. M. & Zaloumis, N. P., 18.10.2019, In: Science. 366, 6463, 4 p., 7976.Research output: Journal contributions › Comments / Debate / Reports › Research
- Published
Neighbour species richness and local structural variability modulate aboveground allocation patterns and crown morphology of individual trees
Kunz, M., Fichtner, A., Härdtle, W., Raumonen, P., Bruelheide, H. & von Oheimb, G., 01.12.2019, In: Ecology Letters. 22, 12, p. 2130-2140 11 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
- Published
The exotic species Senecio inaequidens pays the price for arriving late in temperate European grassland communities
Delory, B. M., Weidlich, E. W. A., Kunz, M., Neitzel, J. & Temperton, V. M., 01.11.2019, In: Oecologia. 191, 3, p. 657-671 15 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review