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

    Insights into Jatropha Projects Worldwide: Key Facts & Figures from a Global Survey

    Wahl, N., Hildebrandt, T., Moser, C., Lüdeke-Freund, F., Averdunk, K., Bailis, R., Barua, K. K., Burritt, R., Groeneveld, J. H., Klein, A.-M., Kügemann, M., Walmsley, D., Zelt, T. & Schaltegger, S., 2012, Lüneburg: Centre for Sustainability Management, 60 p.

    Research output: Working paperWorking papers

  2. Published

    Photolysis of sulfamethoxypyridazine in various aqueous media: Aerobic biodegradation and identification of photoproducts by LC-UV-MS/MS

    Khaleel, N. D. H., Mahmoud, W. M. M., Hadad, G. M., Abdel-Salam, R. A. & Kümmerer, K., 15.01.2013, In: Journal of Hazardous Materials. 244-245, p. 654-661 8 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  3. Published

    Landscape diversity and the resilience of agricultural returns: a portfolio analysis of land-use patterns and economic returns from lowland agriculture

    Abson, D., Fraser, E. & Benton, T., 07.01.2013, In: Agriculture and Food Security. 2, 1, 15 p., 2.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  4. Published

    The Internet as a Tool for Sustainability Accounting and Reporting? An Analysis of the German DAX 30 Companies

    Giese, N., Godemann, J., Herzig, C. & Hetze, K., 2012, European Academy of Management 2012: Social Innovation for Competitiveness, Organisational Performance and Human Excellence. Rotterdam: Erasmus University Rotterdam, p. 1-37 38 p. (European Academy of Management (EURAM) Conference; vol. 2012).

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

  5. Published

    A survey of commercial cattle farmers in semi-arid rangelands in Namibia on risk, sustainability and management

    Olbrich, R., Quaas, M. F. & Baumgärtner, S., 2012, In: Journal of Contextual Economics (JCE) - Schmollers Jahrbuch. 132, 3, p. 463-471 9 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  6. Published

    Sustainable Use of Water in the Food and Beverage Sector through Product Water Footprint Labeling: With Empirical Evidence from Thailand

    Supesuntorn, K., 2012, Lüneburg: Centre for Sustainability Management, 259 p.

    Research output: Working paperWorking papers

  7. Published

    Biodiversität erfolgreich managen

    Schaltegger, S., 23.11.2012, In: Ökologisches Wirtschaften. 27, 4, p. 10-11 2 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearch

  8. Published

    Different responses of ant species to sugars and amino acids in a subtropical forest of China 

    Methorst, J., Klein, A.-M., Blüthgen, N., Leonhardt, S. & Staab, M., 09.2012, From Basic Ecology to the Challenges of Modern Society, Book of abstracts: 42nd Annual Meeting of the Ecological Society of Germany, Austria and Switzerland (GfÖ), Lüneburg, Germany, 10-14 September 2012. Drees, C. & von Oheimb, G. (eds.). Berlin: Gesellschaft für Ökologie, Vol. 42. p. 56-57 2 p. (Verhandlungen der Gesellschaft für Ökologie; no. 42).

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

  9. Published

     Visiting communities of extrafloral nectaries in a subtropical Chinese forest 

    Peters, J., Klein, A.-M., Blüthgen, N. & Staab, M., 09.2012, In: Verhandlungen der Gesellschaft für Ökologie. 42, p. 56 1 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsConference abstract in journalResearchpeer-review

  10. Published

    Tri‐trophic interaction networks along a tree diversity gradient of BEF‐China

    Staab, M., Blüthgen, N. & Klein, A.-M., 09.2012, In: Verhandlungen der Gesellschaft für Ökologie. 42, p. 175 1 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsConference abstract in journalResearchpeer-review