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

    CSR: von der Vision zur Verankerung unternehmerischer Nachhaltigkeit - Eine Frage von Managementbildung

    Schaltegger, S. & Petersen, H., 01.01.2010, CSR-Bildung. Theis, F. (ed.). Wiesbaden: VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften, p. 139-152 14 p.

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

  2. Published

    Raumnutzung von Weidetieren und ihr Einfluss auf verschiedene Vegetationseinheiten und junge Gehölze am Beispiel des E+E-Vorhabens "Halboffene Weidelandschaft Höltigbaum"

    Putfarken, D., Grell, H. & Härdtle, W., 2004, Weidelandschaften und Wildnisgebiete: Vom Experiment zur Praxis. Finck, P., Härdtle, W. & Redecker, B. (eds.). Bonn: BfN-Schriftenvertrieb im Landwirtschaftsverlag, p. 145-160 16 p. (Schriftenreihe für Landschaftspflege und Naturschutz; vol. 78).

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

  3. Published

    Effects of season and man-made changes on baseflow and flow recession: case studies

    Wittenberg, H., 15.08.2003, In: Hydrological Processes. 17, 11, p. 2113-2123 11 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearch

  4. Published

    Forest history, continuity, and dynamic naturalness

    Westphal, C., Härdtle, W. & Oheimb, G., 22.03.2004, Forest biodiversity: lessons from history for conservation. . Honnay, O., Verheyen, K., Bossuyt, B. & Hermy, M. (eds.). CABI, p. 205-220 16 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksChapterpeer-review

  5. Published

    A reference architecture for the integration of EMIS and ERP-Systems

    Funk, B., Niemeyer, P. & Möller, A., 2009, Informatik 2009: Im Focus das Leben; Beiträge der 39. Jahrestagung der Gesellschaft für Informatik. Fischer, S., Maehle, E. & Reischuk, R. (eds.). Bonn: Gesellschaft für Informatik e.V., p. 436 1 p. (GI-Edition : Lecture Notes in Informatics, Proceedings; vol. 154).

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

  6. Published

    Jugend- und Justizpolitik in Hamburg

    Plewig, H.-J., 2008, In: Zeitschrift für Jugendkriminalrecht und Jugendhilfe. 19, 2, p. 180-183 4 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearch

  7. Published

    Geschäftschancen durch Finanzierung Erneuerbarer-Energien-Anlagen

    Schomerus, T. & Degenhart, H., 2008, In: Wissenschaft für die Praxis. 65, p. 12-17 6 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearch

  8. Published

    Restoration ecology meets carabidology: effects of floodplain restitution on ground beetles (Coleoptera, Carabidae)

    Günther, J. & Assmann, T., 01.06.2005, In: Biodiversity and Conservation. 14, 7, p. 1583-1606 24 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  9. Published

    Neue deutsche Härte: die konfrontative Pädagogik auf dem Prüfstand, [2]

    Plewig, H.-J., 2008, In: Zeitschrift für Jugendkriminalrecht und Jugendhilfe. 19, 1, p. 52-59 8 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearch

  10. Published

    From CSR to Corporate Sustainability

    Schaltegger, S., 2008, In: Forum CSR international. p. 40-41 2 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearch