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

    The exotic shrub Rosa rubiginosa as a nurse plant: Implications for the restoration of disturbed temperate forests in Patagonia

    Svriz, M., Damascos, M., Zimmermann, H. & Hensen, I., 01.02.2013, In: Forest Ecology and Management. 289, Februar, p. 234-242 9 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  2. Published

    Agroforestry species of the Bolivian Andes: an integrated assessment of ecological, economic and socio-cultural plant values

    Brandt, R., Zimmermann, H., Hensen, I., Mariscal Castro, J. C. & Rist, S., 09.2012, In: Agroforestry Systems. 86, 1, p. 1-16 16 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  3. Published

    Rosa

    Arens, P., Smulders, M. J. M., Koning-Boucoiran, C. F. S., Gitonga, V. W., Krens, F. A., Atanassov, A., Atanassov, I., Rusanov, K. E., Bendahmane, M., Dubois, A., Raymond, O., Caissard, J. C., Baudino, S., Crespel, L., Gudin, S., Ricci, S. C., Kovatcheva, N., Van Huylenbroeck, J., Leus, L., Wissemann, V., Zimmermann, H., Hensen, I., Werlemark, G. & Nybom, H., 01.01.2011, Wild Crop relatives: Genomic & Breeding Resources, Plantation and Ornamental Crops. Kole, C. (ed.). Berlin: Springer, p. 243-275 33 p. (Wild crop relatives: genomic and breeding resources; vol. 7).

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

  4. Published

    Highly reduced genetic diversity of Rosa rubiginosa L. populations in the invasive range

    Zimmermann, H., Ritz, C., Hirsch, H., Renison, D., Wesche, K. & Hensen, I., 01.05.2010, In: International Journal of Plant Sciences. 171, 4, p. 435-446 12 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  5. Published

    Do we need livestock grazing to promote Polylepis australis tree recruitment in the Central Argentinean Mountains?

    Zimmermann, H., Renison, D., Leyer, I. & Hensen, I., 09.2009, In: Ecological Research. 24, 5, p. 1075-1081 7 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  6. Published

    The Role of Campus, Curriculum, and Community in Higher Education for Sustainable Development: a Conference Report

    Müller-Christ, G., Sterling, S., van Dam-Mieras, R., Adomßent, M., Fischer, D. & Rieckmann, M., 01.01.2014, In: Journal of Cleaner Production. 62, p. 134-137 4 p.

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

  7. Published

    Model choice and size distribution: a Bayequentist approach

    Engler, J.-O. & Baumgärtner, S., 28.02.2013, Lüneburg: Institut für Volkswirtschaftslehre der Universität Lüneburg, 34 p. (Working Paper Series in Economics; no. 265).

    Research output: Working paperWorking papers

  8. Published

    Nachhaltig konsumieren und Ressourcen schonen als Bildungsthema

    Fischer, D., 2013, Umweltfreundlich konsumieren: Handreichung für Lehrkräfte. Mohrhardt, M., Gwinner, R., Busch, A., Nemnich, C. & Pinter, G. (eds.). Berlin: Bundesministerium für Umwelt, Naturschutz und Reaktorsicherheit, p. 46-54 9 p.

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

  9. Published

    German Utilities and distributed PV: How to overcome Barriers to Business Model Innovation

    Richter, M., 07.2013, In: Renewable Energy. 55, 7, p. 456-466 11 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  10. Published

    Scale-dependent diversity patterns affect spider assemblages of two contrasting forest ecosystems

    Schuldt, A., Aßmann, T. & Schaefer, M., 05.2013, In: Acta Oecologica. 49, p. 17-22 6 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review