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

    Environmental Sustainability and Supply Chain Management: A Framework of Cross-Functional Integration and Knowledge Transfer

    Harms, D., 09.2011, In: Journal of Environmental Sustainability. 1, 1, p. 121-141 21 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  2. Published

    Schreibt Ihr Unternehmen auch "grüne" Zahlen? Öko-Controlling in der betrieblichen Praxis

    Schaltegger, S., 1997, In: Gablers Magazin. 1, p. 12-15 4 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesTransfer

  3. Published

    Ökologisches Rechnungswesen

    Schaltegger, S. & Sturm, A., 1992, Ökobilanzen in der Praxis: von der Verpackungsökobilanz zum ökologischen Führungsinstrument . Gutknecht, B. (ed.). Basel: Schweizer Mustermesse Basel, p. 33-38 6 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksArticle in conference proceedingsResearch

  4. Published

    Corporate Sustainability Reporting

    Herzig, C. & Schaltegger, S., 2011, Sustainability Communication: Interdisciplinary Perspectives and Theoretical Foundations. Godemann, J. & Michelsen, G. (eds.). Dordrecht: Springer Science+Business Media, p. 151-169 19 p.

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

  5. Published

    Mechanisms of purple moor-grass (Molinia caerulea) encroachment in dry heathland ecosystems with chronic nitrogen inputs

    Friedrich, U., Oheimb, G., Dziedek, C., Selbmann, K., Härdtle, W. & Kriebitzsch, W.-U., 01.12.2011, In: Environmental Pollution. 159, 12, p. 3553-3559 7 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  6. Published

    International Academic Partnership "Teaching and Learning Sustainability": Implementing Higher Education for Sustainable Development at the Universidad Técnica del Norte (Ecuador)

    Barth, M., Rieckmann, M. & Aguirre, P., 10.2010, Knowledge Collaboration & Learning for Sustainable Innovation: ERSCP-EMSU Conference. Quist, J., Tukker, A., Woudstra, J., Wever, R., Boons, F. & Beute, N. (eds.). Delft: Technische Universiteit Delft, 22 p.

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

  7. Published

    Standortmanagement und -marketing

    Schaltegger, S., 04.1999, In: UNI NOVA (DE). Nr. 84, p. 58-62 5 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesTransfer

  8. Published

    Ökologieorientiertes Management

    Schaltegger, S. & Sturm, A., 1991, Mit Ökonomie zur Ökologie: Analyse und Lösungen des Umweltproblems aus ökonomischer Sicht. Frey, R., Staehelin-Witt, E. & Blöchliger, H. (eds.). 1. ed. Basel: Helbing Lichtenhahn Verlag , p. 269-300 32 p.

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

  9. Published

    Pitfalls and potential of institutional change: rain-index insurance and the sustainability of rangeland management

    Müller, B., Quaas, M., Frank, K. & Baumgärtner, S., 15.09.2011, In: Ecological Economics. 70, 11, p. 2137-2144 8 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  10. Published

    Consumer preferences determine resilience of ecological-economic systems

    Baumgärtner, S., Derissen, S., Quaas, M. F. & Strunz, S., 01.01.2011, In: Ecology and Society. 16, 4, 12 p., 9.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review