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. 2014
  2. Published

    Atmospheric mercury speciation and mercury in snow over time at Alert, Canada

    Steffen, A., Bottenheim, J. W., Cole, A. S., Ebinghaus, R., Lawson, G. S. & Leaitch, W. R., 03.03.2014, In: Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics. 14, 5, p. 2219-2231 13 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  3. Published

    Identifying core habitat before it's too late: The case of Bombina variegata, an internationally endangered amphibian

    Scheele, B. C., Boyd, C. E., Fischer, J., Fletcher, A. W., Hanspach, J. & Hartel, T., 01.03.2014, In: Biodiversity and Conservation. 23, 3, p. 775-780 6 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  4. Published

    Transport of perfluoroalkyl acids in a water-saturated sediment column investigated under near-natural conditions

    Vierke, L., Möller, A. & Klitzke, S., 01.03.2014, In: Environmental Pollution. 186, p. 7-13 7 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  5. Published

    Adolescent growth: Genes, hormones and the peer group. Proceedings of the 20th aschauer Soiree, held at Glücksburg Castle, Germany, 15th to 17th November 2013

    Hermanussen, M., Meitinger, T., Veldhuis, J. D., Low, M. J., Pfäffle, R., Staub, K., Panczak, R., Groth, D., Brabec, M., Von Salisch, M., Loh, C. P. A., Tassenaar, V., Scheffler, C., Mumm, R., Godina, E., Lehmann, A., Tutkuviene, J., Gervickaite, S., Nierop, A. F. M., Holmgren, A., Aßmann, C., Van Buuren, S., Koziel, S., Zadzińska, E., Varela-Silva, I., Vignerová, J., Salama, E., El-Shabrawi, M., Huijic, A., Satake, T. & Bogin, B., 03.2014, In: Pediatric Endocrinology Reviews. 11, 3, p. 341-353 13 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsConference article in journalResearchpeer-review

  6. Published

    Bat pest control contributes to food security in Thailand

    Wanger, T. C., Darras, K., Bumrungsri, S., Tscharntke, T. & Klein, A. M., 03.2014, In: Biological Conservation. 171, p. 220-223 4 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  7. Published

    Do wild bees complement honeybee pollination of confection sunflowers in Israel?

    Pisanty, G., Klein, A.-M. & Mandelik, Y., 03.2014, In: Apidologie. 45, 2, p. 235-247 13 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  8. Published

    Effects of anthropogenic disturbances on soil microbial communities in oak forests persist for more than 100 years

    Fichtner, A., Oheimb, G., Härdtle, W., Wilken, C. & Gutknecht, J., 03.2014, In: Soil Biology and Biochemistry. 70, p. 79-87 9 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  9. Published

    Erdsystem, Klima und globale Stoffkreisläufe

    Palm, W.-U. & Urban, B., 03.2014, Nachhaltigkeitswissenschaften. Heinrichs, H. & Michelsen, G. (eds.). Berlin: Springer Verlag, p. 213-257 45 p.

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

  10. Published

    Host plant availability potentially limits butterfly distributions under cold environmental conditions

    Hanspach, J., Schweiger, O., Kühn, I., Plattner, M., Pearman, P. B., Zimmermann, N. E. & Settele, J., 03.2014, In: Ecography. 37, 3, p. 301-308 8 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  11. Published

    Kommunikation, Partizipation und digitale Medien: Partizipation

    Newig, J., 03.2014, Nachhaltigkeitswissenschaften. Heinrichs, H. & Michelsen, G. (eds.). Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer Spektrum, p. 381-397 17 p.

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

  12. Published

    Methoden und Methodologie in den Nachhaltigkeitswissenschaften

    Lang, D. J., Rode, H. & von Wehrden, H., 03.2014, Nachhaltigkeitswissenschaften. Michelsen, G. & Heinrichs, H. (eds.). Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer Spektrum, p. 115-144 30 p.

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

  13. Published

    Pathogen induced disturbance and succession in temperate forests: Evidence from a 100-year data set in southern Sweden

    Brunet, J., Bukina, Y., Hedwall, P.-O., Holmström, E. & Oheimb, G., 03.2014, In: Basic and Applied Ecology. 15, 2, p. 114-121 8 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  14. Published

    Physicochemical properties and biodegradability of organically functionalized colloidal silica particles in aqueous environment

    Schneider, M., Meder, F., Haiß, A., Treccani, L., Rezwan, K. & Kümmerer, K., 03.2014, In: Chemosphere. 99, p. 96-101 6 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  15. Published

    Plant diversity effects on pollinating and herbivorous insects can be linked to plant stoichiometry

    Abbas, M., Klein, A. M., Ebeling, A., Oelmann, Y., Ptacnik, R., Weisser, W. W. & Hillebrand, H., 03.2014, In: Basic and Applied Ecology. 15, 2, p. 169-178 10 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  16. Published

    Wasser

    Evers, M. & Newig, J., 03.2014, Nachhaltigkeitswissenschaften. Heinrichs, H. & Michelsen, G. (eds.). Berlin: Springer Verlag, p. 475-500 26 p.

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

  17. Published

    Pollination and Plant Resources Change the Nutritional Quality of Almonds for Human Health

    Brittain, C., Kremen, C., Garber, A. K. & Klein, A.-M., 27.02.2014, In: PLoS ONE. 9, 2, 7 p., e90082.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  18. Published

    The Three-Tiered Leuphana Model of Student Support

    Balsam, R., Newig, J. & Seifert, A., 20.02.2014, Lüneburg: Universität Lüneburg, Institut für Umweltkommunikation (INFU), 14 p. (INFU - Diskussionsbeiträge; no. 39/14).

    Research output: Working paperWorking papers

  19. Published

    Sustainability-Oriented Innovation of SMEs: A Systematic Review

    Klewitz, J. & Hansen, E. G., 15.02.2014, In: Journal of Cleaner Production. 65, p. 57-75 19 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsScientific review articlesResearch

  20. Published

    Using the Rapid Impact Assessment Matrix to synthesize biofuel and bioenergy impact assessment results: The example of medium scale bioenergy heat options

    Upham, P. & Smith, B., 15.02.2014, In: Journal of Cleaner Production. 65, p. 261-269 9 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  21. Published

    Anpassung an regionale Klimafolgen kommunizieren: Konzepte, Herausforderungen und Perspektiven

    Beese, K. (Editor), Fekkak, M. (Editor), Katz, C. (Editor), Körner, C. (Editor) & Molitor, H. (Editor), 13.02.2014, München: Oekom Verlag. 517 p. (Klimawandel in Regionen zukunftsfähig gestalten : Klimzug; vol. 2)

    Research output: Books and anthologiesCollected editions and anthologiesResearch