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. 2016
  2. Published

    Effects on the (CSR) Reputation: CSR reporting discussed in the light of signalling and stakeholder perception theories

    Hetze, K., 01.12.2016, In: Corporate Reputation Review. 19, 3, p. 281-296 16 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsScientific review articlesResearch

  3. Published

    Gender perspectives in resilience, vulnerability and adaptation to global environmental change

    Ravera, F., Iniesta-Arandia, I., Martín-López, B., Pascual, U. & Bose, P., 01.12.2016, In: Ambio. 45, 3, Supplement, p. 235-247 13 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  4. Published

    Gender perspectives in resilience, vulnerability and adaptation to global environmental change

    Ravera, F. (Editor), Iniesta-Arandia, I. (Editor), Martín-López, B. (Editor), Pascual, U. (Editor) & Bose, P. (Editor), 01.12.2016, Secaucus: Springer. 393 p. (AMBIO; vol. 45, no. 3 (Supplement))

    Research output: Books and anthologiesSpecial Journal issueResearch

  5. Published

    Introduction bias affects relationships between the characteristics of ornamental alien plants and their naturalization success

    Maurel, N., Hanspach, J., Kühn, I., Pyšek, P., van Kleunen, M. & Evans, K., 01.12.2016, In: Global Ecology and Biogeography. 25, 12, p. 1500-1509 10 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  6. Published

    Maize rhizosphere priming: field estimates using 13C natural abundance

    Kumar, A., Kuzyakov, Y. & Pausch, J., 01.12.2016, In: Plant and Soil. 409, 1-2, p. 87-97 11 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  7. Published

    Managing Research Environments: Heterarchies in Academia. A Response to Cumming

    Fischer, J., 01.12.2016, In: Trends in Ecology and Evolution. 31, 12, p. 900-902 3 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsOther (editorial matter etc.)Research

  8. Published

    Overcome procrastination: Enhancing emotion regulation skills reduce procrastination

    Eckert, M., Ebert, D. D., Lehr, D., Sieland, B. & Berking, M., 01.12.2016, In: Learning and Individual Differences. 52, p. 10-18 9 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  9. Published
  10. Published

    South America's biophysical involvement in international trade: The physical trade balances of Argentina, Bolivia, and Brazil in the light of ecologically unequal exchange

    Dorninger, C. & Eisenmenger, N., 01.12.2016, In: Journal of Political Ecology. 23, 1, p. 394-409 16 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  11. Published

    Sustainability of rural electrification programs based on off-grid photovoltaic (PV) systems in Chile

    Feron, S., Heinrichs, H. & Cordero, R., 01.12.2016, In: Energy, Sustainability and Society. 6, 1, 19 p., 32.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  12. Published

    The diversity of gendered adaptation strategies to climate change of Indian farmers: A feminist intersectional approach

    Ravera, F., Martín-López, B., Pascual, U. & Drucker, A., 01.12.2016, In: Ambio. 45, 3, Supplement, p. 335-351 17 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  13. Published

    The role of sustainability in nuclear energy plans: What do national energy strategies tell us?

    Gralla, F., John, B., Abson, D. J., Møller, A. P., Bickel, M., Lang, D. J. & von Wehrden, H., 01.12.2016, In: Energy Research and Social Science. 22, p. 94-106 13 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  14. Published

    Albert Schweitzer: A Biography

    Oermann, N. O., 24.11.2016, Oxford: Oxford University Press. 288 p.

    Research output: Books and anthologiesMonographsResearch

  15. Published

    Five primary sources of organic aerosols in the urban atmosphere of Belgrade (Serbia)

    Zangrando, R., Barbaro, E., Kirchgeorg, T., Vecchiato, M., Scalabrin, E., Radaelli, M., Đorđević, D., Barbante, C. & Gambaro, A., 15.11.2016, In: Science of the Total Environment. 571, p. 1441-1453 13 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  16. Published

    Growth and water use of Populus euphratica trees and stands with different water supply along the Tarim River, NW China

    Lang, P., Ahlborn, J., Schäfer, P., Wommelsdorf, T., Jeschke, M., Zhang, X. & Thomas, F. M., 15.11.2016, In: Forest Ecology and Management. 380, p. 139-148 10 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  17. Published

    Integrating corporate sustainability assessment, management accounting, control, and reporting

    Maas, K., Schaltegger, S. & Crutzen, N., 10.11.2016, In: Journal of Cleaner Production. 136, Part A, p. 237-248 12 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  18. Published

    Journal of Cleaner Production. Special Volume: The Integration of Corporate Sustainability Assessment, Management Accounting, Control, and Reporting

    Maas, K. (Editor), Schaltegger, S. (Editor) & Crutzen, N. (Editor), 10.11.2016, Elsevier B.V. 249 p. (Journal of Cleaner Production; vol. 136 , no. Part A)

    Research output: Books and anthologiesSpecial Journal issueResearch

  19. Published

    Reprint of Advancing the integration of corporate sustainability measurement, management and reporting

    Maas, K., Schaltegger, S. & Crutzen, N., 10.11.2016, In: Journal of Cleaner Production. 136, Part A, p. 1-4 4 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  20. Published

    A Conceptual Structure of Justice - Providing a Tool to Analyse Conceptions of Justice

    Stumpf, K. H., Becker, C. U. & Baumgaertner, S., 01.11.2016, In: Ethical Theory and Moral Practice . 19, 5, p. 1187-1202 16 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  21. Published

    Carbon footprinting of large product portfolios. Extending the use of Enterprise Resource Planning systems to carbon information management

    Zvezdov, D. & Hack, S., 01.11.2016, In: Journal of Cleaner Production. 135, p. 1267-1275 9 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review