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

    Business Model Assessment: Taking a Stakeholder Perspective

    Freudenreich, B., Saviuc, I. & Schaltegger, S., 2015, Measuring sustainability performance: bridging corporate and academic contributions. Rodney, I. & Schaltegger, S. (eds.). World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), p. 102-105 4 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksArticle in conference proceedingsResearchpeer-review

  2. Published

    Portfolio optimization in zonal energy markets: Evidence from Italy

    Fianu, E. S., 30.06.2015, In: International Journal of Energy and Statistics. 3, 2, 17 p., 1550006.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  3. Published

    Principles for sustainable urban places: the why, what and how

    John, B. & Lüderitz, C., 2015, Dialogues of Sustainable Urbanisation: Social Science Research and Transitions to Urban Contexts. Condie, J. & Cooper, A. M. (eds.). Penrith, N.S.W.: University of Western Sydney, p. 13-18 6 p.

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

  4. Published

    "Taking the pulse" of doctors and nurses to reduce pharmaceutical residues in the water cycle: A ground-breaking survey and its educational implications

    Adomßent, M., 30.09.2015, WIT Transactions on The Built Environment: Sustainable Development. Brebbia, C. A. (ed.). WIT Press, Vol. 1. p. 167-178 12 p. (WIT Transactions on The Built Environment; vol. 168).

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksArticle in conference proceedingsResearchpeer-review

  5. Published
  6. Published

    Sports and Nature Conservation: Ten Theses on the Optimisation of Shared Communication

    Adomßent, M., 01.01.2015, In: Journal of Biodiversity, Bioprospecting and Development . 2, 3, 5 p., 153.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  7. Published
  8. Published

    Globalization’s limits to the environmental state? Integrating telecoupling into global environmental governance

    Lenschow, A., Newig, J. & Challies, E., 02.01.2016, In: Environmental Politics. 25, 1, p. 136-159 24 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  9. Published

    Relevante Ansätze zur Vermeidung von Lebensmittelabfällen in der Landwirtschaft, der Lebensmittelverarbeitung und im Handel

    Bräutigam, K.-R., Schomerus, T. & Biesdorf, B., 2014, Von der Verschwendung zur Wertschätzung der Lebensmittel - Wissenschaftliche Erkenntnisse und praktische Umsetzung: Tagungsdokumentation; 21. November 2014, Münster. Ministerium für Klimaschutz, Umwelt, Landwirtschaft, Natur- und Verbraucherschutz des Landes Nordrhein-Westfalen, p. 20 1 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksOtherTransfer

  10. Published

    Antibiotics and sweeteners in the aquatic environment: biodegradability, formation of phototransformation products, and in vitro toxicity

    Bergheim, M., Gminski, R., Spangenberg, B., Debiak, M., Bürkle, A., Mersch-Sundermann, V., Kümmerer, K. & Gieré, R., 01.11.2015, In: Environmental Science and Pollution Research. 22, 22, p. 18017-18030 14 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review