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

    Socioeconomic and biophysical factors affect tree diversity in farms producing specialty coffee in Caranavi, Bolivia

    Torrico, G. G., Antezana Alvarado, N., Pacheco, L. F., Benavides‑Frias, C. & Jacobi, J., 02.2024, In: Agroforestry Systems. 98, 2, p. 427-439 13 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  2. Published

    Does it occur or not? - A structured approach to support students in determining the spontaneity of chemical reactions

    Hofer, E. & Steininger, R., 03.2025, In: Chemistry Teacher International. 7, 1, p. 45-61 17 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  3. Published

    Sustainability management accounting – enabling macro-level sustainability transformation towards the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals

    Christ, K. L., Dijkstra-Silva, S., Burritt, R. & Schaltegger, S., 25.04.2024, In: Meditari Accountancy Research. 32, 3, p. 923-944 22 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  4. Published

    Pathways towards sustainable and just futures with and for disabled populations: a leverage points perspective

    Kosanic, A., Petzold, J. & Martín-López, B., 05.11.2023, In: Ecosystems and People. 19, 1, 5 p., 2274590.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  5. Published

    Agriculture: reform the global food system

    Fischer, J., Bennett, E. & Pe’er, G., 19.10.2023, In: Nature. 622, 7983, p. 461 1 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsComments / Debate / ReportsResearch

  6. Published

    Shedding light on trophic interactions: A field experiment on the effect of human population between latitudes on herbivory and predation patterns

    Alonso-Crespo, I. M. & Hernández-Agüero, J. A., 01.09.2023, In: Ecology and Evolution. 13, 9, 13 p., e10449.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  7. Published

    Leverage points and levers of inclusive conservation in protected areas

    Cebrián-Piqueras, M. A., Palomo, I., Lo, V. B., López-Rodríguez, M. D., Filyushkina, A., Fischborn, M., Raymond, C. M. & Plieninger, T., 10.2023, In: Ecology and Society. 28, 4, 18 p., 7.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  8. Published

    Constraint breeds creativity: A brainstorming method to jumpstart out-of-the-box thinking for sustainability science

    Gould, R. K., Saito, T., Allen, K. E., Bonn, A., Chapman, M., Droz, L., Herrmann, T. M., Himes, A., Ishihara, H., Coelho-Junior, M. G., Katsue, F., Kenter, J. O., Muraca, B., Ortiz-Przychodzka, S., Pearson, J., Tadaki, M., Rono, B. J. & Tamura, N., 01.10.2023, In: BioScience. 73, 10, p. 703-710 8 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  9. Published

    Defining sustainable chemistry-an opportune exercise?

    Zuin Zeidler, V. G., 13.10.2023, In: Science. 382, 6667, eadk7430.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  10. Published

    Identification of structure-biodegradability relationships for ionic liquids - clustering of a dataset based on structural similarity

    Amsel, A. K., Olsson, O. & Kümmerer, K., 29.09.2023, In: Green Chemistry . 25, 22, p. 9226-9250 25 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review