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

    Remediation of PAHs, NSO-Heterocycles, and Related Aromatic Compounds in Permeable Reactive Barriers Using Activated Carbon

    Palm, W.-U., Mänz, J. S. & Ruck, W., 01.01.2014, Permeable Reactive Barrier: sustainable groundwater remediation. Naidu, R. & Birke, V. (eds.). Boca Raton: CRC Press, p. 215-248 34 p. (Advances in Trace Elements in the Environment).

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksChapterpeer-review

  2. Published

    Agricultural residues as feedstocks for lactic acid fermentation

    Pleissner, D. & Venus, J., 2014, Green Technologies for the Environment. O. Obare, S. & Luque, R. (eds.). American Chemical Society, Vol. 1186. p. 247-263 17 p. (ACS Symposium Series; vol. 1186).

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksContributions to collected editions/anthologiesResearch

  3. Published

    Recycling of food waste as nutrients in Chlorella vulgaris cultivation

    Lau, K. Y., Pleissner, D. & Lin, C. S. K., 10.2014, In: Bioresource Technology. 170, p. 144-151 8 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  4. Published

    Valorization of industrial waste and by-product streams via fermentation for the production of chemicals and biopolymers

    Koutinas, A. A., Vlysidis, A., Pleissner, D., Kopsahelis, N., Lopez Garcia, I., Kookos, I. K., Papanikolaou, S., Kwan, T. H. & Lin, C. S. K., 21.04.2014, In: Chemical Society Reviews. 43, 8, p. 2587-2627 41 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsScientific review articlesResearch

  5. Published

    Fungal hydrolysis in submerged fermentation for food waste treatment and fermentation feedstock preparation

    Pleissner, D., Kwan, T. H. & Lin, C. S. K., 04.2014, In: Bioresource Technology. 158, p. 48-54 7 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  6. Published

    Thermal energy storage systems for heating and hot water in residential buildings

    Belz, K., Kuznik, F., Werner, K., Osterland, T. & Ruck, W., 2015, Advances in thermal energy storage systems: Methods and applications. 1 ed. Cambrdge, UK; Waltham, MA, USA: Elsevier B.V., Vol. 66. p. 441-465 25 p. (Woodhead Publishing series in energy ; vol. 66).

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksChapterpeer-review

  7. Published

    Die EU-Holzhandelsverordnung: Ein wirksames Instrument zur Bekämpfung des illegalen Holzhandels?

    Sieveking, A., 12.08.2014, In: Natur und Recht. 36, 8 , p. 542-548 7 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  8. Published

    Development of an ex-vitro system allowing plant-bacteria interactions through VOCs in the context of water stress

    Mendaluk - Saunier de Cazenave, M., Baudson, C., Delory, B., du Jardin, P. & Delaplace, P., 07.02.2014, Book of short abstracts, poster presentations: 19th National Symposium on Applied Biological Sciences. Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, p. 98 1 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksPublished abstract in conference proceedingsResearch

  9. Published

    Quantitative gas chromatography - mass spectrometry profiling of volatile organic compounds produced by barley (Hordeum distichon L.) roots according to plant age

    Delory, B., Delaplace, P., du Jardin, P. & Fauconnier, M.-L., 07.02.2014, Book of short abstracts, Poster presentations: 19th National Symposium on Applied Biological Sciences. Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, p. 82 1 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksPublished abstract in conference proceedingsResearch

  10. Published

    archiDART: a R package allowing root system architecture analysis using Data Analysis of Root Tracings (DART) output files

    Delory, B., Baudson, C., Brostaux, Y., Pagès, L., du Jardin, P. & Delaplace, P., 07.02.2014, Book of short abstracts, poster presentations: 19th National Symposium on Applied Biological Sciences. Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, p. 14 1 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksPublished abstract in conference proceedingsResearch