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

    FragSAD: A database of diversity and species abundance distributions from habitat fragments

    Chase, J. M., Liebergesell, M., Sagouis, A., May, F., Blowes, S. A., Berg, Å., Bernard, E., Brosi, B. J., Cadotte, M. W., Cayuela, L., Chiarello, A. G., Cosson, J.-F., Cresswell, W., Dami, F. D., Dauber, J., Dickman, C. R., Didham, R. K., Edwards, D. P., Farneda, F. Z., Gavish, Y., Gonçalves-Souza, T., Guadagnin, D. L., Henry, M., López-Baucells, A., Kappes, H., Mac Nally, R., Manu, S., Martensen, A. C., McCollin, D., Meyer, C. F. J., Neckel-Oliveira, S., Nogueira, A., Pons, J.-M., Raheem, D. C., Ramos, F. N., Rocha, R., Sam, K., Slade, E., Stireman III, J. O., Struebig, M. J., Vasconcelos, H. & Ziv, Y., 01.12.2019, In: Ecology. 100, 12, 1 p., e02861.

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

  2. Published

    Researching collaborative interdisciplinary teams: practices and principles for navigating researcher positionality

    Freeth, R. C. & Vilsmaier, U., 15.09.2020, In: Science & Technology Studies. 33, 3, p. 57-72 16 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  3. Published

    Vermeidung von Biozideinträgen aus Gebäudeauswaschungen in urbane Oberflächengewässer und Grundwasser

    Olsson, O., Lange, J. & Kümmerer, K., 10.2019, In: KA - Korrespondenz Abwasser, Abfall. 66, 10, p. 812-819 9 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesTransferpeer-review

  4. Published

    Collaborative governance towards cities sustainability transition

    Conti, D. D. M., de Hoyos Guevara, A. J., Heinrichs, H., da Silva, L. F., Quaresma, C. C. & Bete, T. D. S., 01.01.2019, In: URBE - Revista Brasileira de Gestão Urbana. 11, 19 p., e20190046.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  5. Published

    When history matters: The overlooked role of priority effects in grassland overyielding

    Delory, B., Weidlich, E. W. A., von Gillhaussen, P. & Temperton, V. M., 12.2019, In: Functional Ecology. 33, 12, p. 2369-2380 12 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  6. Published

    Multiple components of plant diversity loss determine herbivore phylogenetic diversity in a subtropical forest experiment

    Wang, M.-Q., Li, Y., Chesters, D., Anttonen, P., Bruelheide, H., Chen, J.-T., Durka, W., Guo, P.-F., Haerdtle, W., Ma, K., Michalski, S. G., Schmid, B., von Oheimb, G., Wu, C.-S., Zhang, N.-L., Zhou, Q.-S., Schuldt, A. & Zhu, C.-D., 01.11.2019, In: Journal of Ecology. 107, 6, p. 2697-2712 16 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  7. Published

    Guest editorial: Sustainability Accounting, Management and Policy Journal, Vol. 10 No. 4

    Crutzen, N. (Editor), Van Bockhaven, J. (Editor), Schaltegger, S. (Editor) & Giffinger, R. (Editor), 18.09.2019, In: Sustainability Accounting, Management and Policy Journal. 10, 4, p. 646-653 8 p.

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

  8. Published

    Root trait plasticity and plant nutrient acquisition in phosphorus limited soil

    Kumar, A., Shahbaz, M., Koirala, M., Blagodatskaya, E., Seidel, S. J., Kuzyakov, Y. & Pausch, J., 01.12.2019, In: Journal of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science. 182, 6, p. 945-952 8 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  9. Published

    Strategies and drivers of sustainable business model innovation

    Lüdeke-Freund, F., Schaltegger, S. & Dembek, K., 2019, Handbook of Sustainable Innovation. Boons, F. & McMeekin, A. (eds.). Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Publishing, p. 101-123 23 p. 6

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksContributions to collected editions/anthologiesResearchpeer-review

  10. Published

    Evaluating social learning in participatory mapping of ecosystem services

    García-Nieto, A. P., Huland, E., Quintas-Soriano, C., Iniesta-Arandia, I., García-Llorente, M., Palomo, I. & Martín-López, B., 01.11.2019, In: Ecosystems and People. 15, 1, p. 257-268 12 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review