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 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

  2. 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

  3. 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

  4. 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

  5. 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

  6. Published

    Möglichkeiten der Optimierung einjähriger Blühstreifen für blütenbesuchende Insekten: Eine Fallstudie aus dem Nordwestdeutschen Tiefland

    Grabener, S., Hein, S., Härdtle, W., Aßmann, T., Boutaud, E., Kubiak, M., Luck, F. V., Schmid-Egger, C., Scholz, T., Ssymank, A., Ullrich, K., Zumstein, P. & Drees, C., 01.12.2021, In: Natur und Landschaft. 96, 12, p. 561 - 569 9 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  7. Published

    Governance to manage the complexity of nature’s contributions to people co-production

    Isaac, R., Kachler, J., Winkler, K. J., Albrecht, E., Felipe-Lucia, M. R. & Martín-López, B., 01.01.2022, In: Advances in Ecological Research. 66, p. 293-321 29 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  8. Published

    Centralized and decentral approaches to succeed the 100% energiewende in Germany in the European context – A model-based analysis of generation, network, and storage investments

    Kendziorski, M., Göke, L., Hirschhausen, C. V., Kemfert, C. & Zozmann, E., 08.2022, In: Energy Policy. 167, 9 p., 113039.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  9. Published

    Can Pulsed Electric Fields Treated Algal Cells Be Used as Stationary Phase in Chromatography?

    Pleissner, D. & Smetana, S., 29.04.2022, In: Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems. 6, 7 p., 860647.

    Research output: Journal contributionsScientific review articlesResearch

  10. Published

    Digitalisierung & Inklusion – Teil 1: Naturwissenschaftliche und digitale Grundbildung für alle ermöglichen

    Watts, E. & Stinken-Rösner, L., 05.2022, In: Digital unterrichten. Biologie. 2022, 5, p. 3-3 1 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesTransfer