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

    Expert*inneninterview

    Barth, M. & Bürgener, L., 2022, Young Citizens: Handbuch politische Bildung in der Grundschule. Baumgardt, I. & Lange, D. (eds.). Bonn: Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung, p. 427-432 6 p. (Schriftenreihe; vol. 10777).

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

  2. Published

    Managing and accounting for corporate biodiversity contributions mapping the field

    Schaltegger, S., Gibassier, D. & Maas, K., 07.2023, In: Business Strategy and the Environment. 32, 5, p. 2544-2553 10 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  3. Published

    Disentangling Obstacles to Knowledge Co-Production for Early-Career Researchers in the Marine Sciences

    Rölfer, L., Elias Ilosvay, X. E., Ferse, S. C. A., Jung, J., Karcher, D. B., Kriegl, M., Nijamdeen, T. M., Riechers, M. & Walker, E. Z., 13.05.2022, In: Frontiers in Marine Science. 9, 8 p., 893489.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  4. Published

    The European Forest Plant Species List (EuForPlant): Concept and applications

    Heinken, T., Diekmann, M., Liira, J., Orczewska, A., Schmidt, M., Brunet, J., Chytrý, M., Chabrerie, O., Decocq, G., De Frenne, P., Drevojan, P., Dzwonko, Z., Ewald, J., Feilberg, J., Graae, B. J., Grytnes, J. A., Hermy, M., Kriebitzsch, W.-U., Laivins, M., Lenoir, J., Lindmo, S., Marage, D., Marozas, V., Niemeyer, T., Paal, J., Pyšek, P., Roosaluste, E., Sadlo, J., Schaminée, J. H. J., Tyler, T., Verheyen, K., Wulf, M. & Vanneste, T., 16.05.2022, In: Journal of Vegetation Science. 33, 3, 16 p., e13132.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  5. Published

    The WTO’s Crisis: Between a Rock and a Hard Place

    Bäumler, J., 2021, European Yearbook of International Economic Law. Bungenberg, M., Krajewski, M., Tams, C. J., Terhechte, J. P. & Ziegler, A. R. (eds.). Heidelberg: Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH, p. 321-358 38 p. (European Yearbook of International Economic Law; vol. 11).

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksChapterpeer-review

  6. Published

    Environmental governance in globally telecoupled systems: Mapping the terrain towards an integrated research agenda

    Cotta, B., Coenen, J., Challies, E., Newig, J., Lenschow, A. & Schilling-Vacaflor, A., 01.08.2022, In: Earth System Governance. 13, 16 p., 100142.

    Research output: Journal contributionsScientific review articlesResearch

  7. Published

    Egalitarian Norm Messaging Increases Human Resources Professionals’ Salary Offers to Women

    Schuster, C., Sparkman, G., Walton, G. M., Alles, A. & Loschelder, D. D., 01.04.2023, In: Journal of Applied Psychology. 108, 4, p. 541-552 12 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  8. Published

    Die "Energiewende" im Bundestag: ein politisches Transformationsprojekt? Eine Diskursanalyse aus feministischer und sozial-ökologischer Perspektive

    Amri-Henkel, A., 01.04.2021, Bielefeld: transcript Verlag. 364 p. (Edition Politik; vol. 106)

    Research output: Books and anthologiesMonographsResearch

  9. Published

    Scoping Review of Existing Evaluations of Smokeless Tobacco Control Policies: What Is Known About Countries Covered, Level of Jurisdictions, Target Groups Studied, and Instruments Evaluated?

    Forberger, S., Khan, Z., Ahmad, F., Frense, J., Kampfmann, T., Ahmad, F., Ullah, S., Dogar, O., Siddiqi, K. & Zeeb, H., 01.09.2022, In: Nicotine and Tobacco Research. 24, 9, p. 1344-1354 11 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsScientific review articlesResearch

  10. Published

    Understanding Sustainability Performance in Business Organizations: Implications for the Sustainability Service Industry

    Imbrogiano, J.-P., 30.11.2022, London: Routledge Taylor & Francis Group. 204 p.

    Research output: Books and anthologiesMonographsResearchpeer-review