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

    Understanding positive contributions to sustainability. A systematic review

    Dijkstra-Silva, S., Schaltegger, S. & Beske-Janssen, P., 15.10.2022, In: Journal of Environmental Management. 320, 11 p., 115802.

    Research output: Journal contributionsScientific review articlesResearch

  2. Published

    Environmental management accounting: development, context, contribution and outlook

    Schaltegger, S., Burritt, R. & Christ, K. L., 04.08.2022, Handbook of Accounting and Sustainability. Adams, C. (ed.). Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Publishing, p. 260-278 19 p. (Research handbooks in accounting).

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksChapter

  3. Published

    Telecoupling as a framework to support a more nuanced understanding of causality in land system science

    Busck-Lumholt, L. M., Coenen, J., Persson, J., Frohn Pedersen, A., Mertz, O. & Corbera, E., 02.01.2022, In: Journal of Land Use Science. 17, 1, p. 386-406 21 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  4. Published

    The Potential of Modular Product Design on Repair Behavior and User Experience - Evidence from the Smartphone Industry

    Amend, C., Revellio, F., Tenner, I. & Schaltegger, S., 20.09.2022, In: Journal of Cleaner Production. 367, 14 p., 132770.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  5. Published

    Special Issue on Impact Investing – Critical Examinations of Motivations, Processes and Results

    Hockerts, K. (Editor), Hehenberger, L. (Editor), Schaltegger, S. (Editor) & Farber, V. (Editor), 2022, Dordrecht: Springer. 180 p. (Journal of Business Ethics; vol. 179, no. 4)

    Research output: Books and anthologiesSpecial Journal issueResearch

  6. Published
  7. Published

    Defining and Conceptualizing Impact Investing: Attractive Nuisance or Catalyst?

    Hockerts, K., Hehenberger, L., Schaltegger, S. & Farber, V., 01.09.2022, In: Journal of Business Ethics. 179, 4, p. 937-950 14 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  8. Published

    Adaption der Dokumentarischen Methode zur Bearbeitung von naturwissenschaftsdidaktischen Fragestellungen

    Plotz, T., Koliander, B. & Abels, S., 01.07.2022, Dokumentarische Unterrichtsforschung in den Fachdidaktiken : Theoretische Grundlagen und Forschungspraxis. Martnes, M., Asbrand, B., Buchborn, T. & Menthe, J. (eds.). Wiesbaden: Springer, p. 155-175 21 p. (Rekonstruktive Bildungsforschung; vol. 31).

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksChapter

  9. Published

    Assessing the contribution of products to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals: a methodological proposal

    Eberle, U., Wenzig, J. & Mumm, N., 07.2022, In: The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment. 27, 7, p. 959-977 19 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  10. Published

    Building urban resilience through sustainability‑oriented small‑ and medium‑sized enterprises

    Burch, S., DiBella, J., Wiek, A., Schaltegger, S., Stubbs, W., Farrelly, M., Ness, B. & McCormick, K., 28.07.2022, In: Urban Transformations. 4, 1, 7 p., 12.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review