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

    Making sense of sustainability transitions locally: how action research contributes to addressing societal challenges

    Wittmayer, J. M., Schäpke, N., van Steenbergen, F. & Omann, I., 02.10.2014, In: Critical Policy Studies. 8, 4, p. 465-485 21 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  2. Published

    Antineoplastic compounds in the environment: Substances of special concern

    Kümmerer, K., Haiß, A., Schuster, A., Hein, A. & Ebert, I., 01.08.2016, In: Environmental Science and Pollution Research. 23, 15, p. 14791–14804 14 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  3. Published

    Biodegradation screening of chemicals in an artificial matrix simulating the water-sediment interface

    Baginska, E., Haiß, A. & Kümmerer, K., 01.01.2015, In: Chemosphere. 119, p. 1240-1246 7 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  4. Published

    Soil carbon, multiple benefits

    Milne, E., Banwart, S. A., Noellemeyer, E., Abson, D., Ballabio, C., Bampa, F., Bationo, A., Batjes, N. H., Bernoux, M., Bhattacharyya, T., Black, H., Buschiazzo, D. E., Cai, Z., Cerri, C. E., Cheng, K., Compagnone, C., Conant, R., Coutinho, H. L. C., de Brogniez, D., Balieiro, F. D. C., Duffy, C., Feller, C., Fidalgo, E. C. C., da Silva, C. F., Funk, R., Gaudig, G., Gicheru, P. T., Goldhaber, M., Gottschalk, P., Goulet, F., Goverse, T., Grathwohl, P., Joosten, H., Kamoni, P. T., Kihara, J., Krawczynski, R., La Scala, N., Lemanceau, P., Li, L., Li, Z., Lugato, E., Maron, P. A., Martius, C., Melillo, J., Montanarella, L., Nikolaidis, N., Nziguheba, G., Pan, G., Pascual, U., Paustian, K., Piñeiro, G., Powlson, D., Quiroga, A., Richter, D., Sigwalt, A., Six, J., Smith, J., Smith, P., Stocking, M., Tanneberger, F., Termansen, M., van Noordwijk, M., van Wesemael, B., Vargas, R., Victoria, R. L., Waswa, B., Werner, D., Wichmann, S., Wichtmann, W., Zhang, X., Zhao, Y., Zheng, J. & Zheng, J., 01.01.2015, In: Environmental Development. 13, p. 33-38 6 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  5. Published

    Climate change adaptation strategies within the framework of the German “Energiewende” – Is there a need for government interventions and legal obligations?

    Groth, M. & Cortekar, J., 11.2014, Lüneburg: Institut für Volkswirtschaftslehre der Universität Lüneburg, 28 p. (Working Paper Series in Economics; no. 315).

    Research output: Working paperWorking papers

  6. Published

    Hazard assessment of fluorinated alternatives to long-chain perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) and their precursors: status quo, ongoing challenges and possible solutions

    Wang, Z., Cousins, I. T., Scheringer, M. & Hungerbuehler, K., 01.02.2015, In: Environmental international. 75, p. 172-179 8 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  7. Published

    Nachhaltige Ernährung im Wertediskurs: Beiträge einer Hochschulbildung für nachhaltige Entwicklung

    Rieckmann, M., Fischer, D. & Richter, S., 2014, Perspektive Nahrungsmittelethik. Quandt, J. H., Schank, C. & Vorbohle, K. (eds.). München: Hampp Verlag, p. 29–58 30 p.

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

  8. Published
  9. Published

    Regionale Unterschiede der Netznutzungsentgelte: Hindernis für eine faire Energiewende?

    Plenz, M., Meister, M., Doliwa, M. & Obbelode, F., 2014, In: Zeitschrift für neues Energierecht. 18, 6, p. 540 - 543 4 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  10. Published

    Verschmelzungen im neuen EEG 2014: Endlich klare Verhältnisse?

    Meister, M. & Süß, C., 2014, In: Betriebs-Berater. 48, p. 2890-2894 5 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesTransfer