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

    Reconstruction of Past and Prediction of Future Benzo[a]pyrene Concentrations Over Europe

    Bieser, J., Aulinger, A., Matthias, V. & Quante, M., 01.01.2014, Air Pollution Modeling and its Application XXII: Environmental Security. Steyn, D., Builtjes, P. & Timmermans, R. (eds.). Springer Verlag, p. 59-63 5 p. (NATO Science for Peace and Security Series C: Environmental Security; vol. 137).

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksArticle in conference proceedingsResearchpeer-review

  3. Published

    Remediation of PAHs, NSO-Heterocycles, and Related Aromatic Compounds in Permeable Reactive Barriers Using Activated Carbon

    Palm, W.-U., Mänz, J. S. & Ruck, W., 01.01.2014, Permeable Reactive Barrier: sustainable groundwater remediation. Naidu, R. & Birke, V. (eds.). Boca Raton: CRC Press, p. 215-248 34 p. (Advances in Trace Elements in the Environment).

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksChapterpeer-review

  4. Published

    The importance of ecosystem services for rural inhabitants in a changing cultural landscape in Romania

    Hartel, T., Fischer, J., Câmpeanu, C., Milcu, A. I., Hanspach, J. & Fazey, I., 01.01.2014, In: Ecology and Society. 19, 2, 9 p., 42.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  5. Published

    The Population Trajectories Both of the Wild Rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) and the Iberian Lynx (Lynx pardinus) in Spain: Implications for Conservation

    Lozano Mendoza, J., Cabezas-Díaz, S. & Virgós, E., 01.01.2014, Trends in Environmental Science. Nova Science Publishers, Inc., p. 105-132 28 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksChapterpeer-review

  6. Published

    The Role of Campus, Curriculum, and Community in Higher Education for Sustainable Development: a Conference Report

    Müller-Christ, G., Sterling, S., van Dam-Mieras, R., Adomßent, M., Fischer, D. & Rieckmann, M., 01.01.2014, In: Journal of Cleaner Production. 62, p. 134-137 4 p.

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

  7. Published

    Use: What is needed to Support Sustainability?

    Mikkelsen, R. L., Binder, C. R., Frossard, E., Brand, F. S., Scholz, R. W. & Vilsmaier, U., 01.01.2014, Sustainable Phosphorus Management: A Global Transdisciplinary Roadmap. Scholz, R. W., Roy, A. H., Brand, F. S., Hellums, D. T. & Ulrich, A. E. (eds.). 1 ed. Dordrecht: Springer Netherlands, p. 207-246 40 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksChapterpeer-review

  8. Published

    Wood-pasture management in southern Transylvania (Romania): From communal to where?

    Sutcliffe, L. M. E., Öllerer, K. & Röllig, M., 01.01.2014, European Wood-pastures in Transition: A social-ecological approach. Hartel, T. & Plieninger, T. (eds.). London: Routledge Taylor & Francis Group, p. 219-234 16 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksChapterpeer-review

  9. Published

    Wood-pasture management in southern Transylvania (Romania): From communal to where?

    Sutcliffe, L., Öllerer, K., Roellig, M. & Hartel, T., 01.01.2014, European Wood-pastures in Transition: A Social-ecological Approach. Hartel, T. & Plieninger, T. (eds.). Taylor and Francis Inc., p. 219-234 16 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksChapterpeer-review

  10. Published

    Designing forest biodiversity experiments: General considerations illustrated by a new large experiment in subtropical China

    Bruelheide, H., Nadrowski, K., Aßmann, T., Bauhus, J., Both, S., Buscot, F., Chen, X.-Y., Ding, B.-Y., Durka, W., Erfmeier, A., Gutknecht, J., Guo, D., Guo, L.-D., Härdtle, W., He, J.-S., Klein, A.-M., Kühn, P., Liang, Y., Liu, X., Michalski, S. G., Niklaus, P. A., Pei, K., Scherer-Lorenzen, M., Scholten, T., Schuldt, A., Seidler, G., Trogisch, S., Oheimb, G., Welk, E., Wirth, C., Wubet, T., Yang, X., Yu, M., Zhang, S., Zhou, H., Fischer, M., Ma, K. & Schmid, B., 01.2014, In: Methods in Ecology and Evolution. 5, 1, p. 74-89 16 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  11. Published

    Geochemical Assessment of Sediment Quality Using Multivariate Statistical Analysis of Ennore Creek, North of Chennai, SE Coast of India.

    Muthumanickam, J., Nagarajan, R., Velmurugan, P. M., Giridharan, L., Neetha, V. & Urban, B., 01.2014, In: Journal of Science and Technology. 22, 1, p. 315-328 14 p., JST-0407-2012.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  12. Published

    Multifunctionality and biodiversity: Ecosystem services in temperate rainforests of the Pacific Northwest, USA

    Brandt, P., Abson, D., DellaSala, D. A., Feller, R. & von Wehrden, H., 01.2014, In: Biological Conservation. 169, p. 362-371 10 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  13. Published

    Online-Trainings zur Stressbewältigung - eine neue Chance zur Gesundheitsförderung im Lehrerberuf?

    Lehr, D., Eckert, M., Baum, K., Thiart, H., Heber, E., Berking, M., Sieland, B. & Ebert, D. D., 01.2014, In: Lehrerbildung auf dem Prüfstand. 7, 2, p. 190-212 23 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  14. Published

    Space and habitat use by wild Bactrian camels in the Transaltai Gobi of southern Mongolia

    Kaczensky, P., Adiya, Y. A., von Wehrden, H., Mijiddorj, B., Walzer, C., Güthlin, D., Ebkhbileg, D. & Reading, R. P., 01.2014, In: Biological Conservation. 169, p. 311-318 8 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  15. Published

    Uncertainty in the river export modelling of pesticides and transformation products

    Gassmann, M., Khodorkovsky, M., Friedler, E., Dubowski, Y. & Olsson, O., 01.2014, In: Environmental Modelling & Software. 51, p. 35-44 10 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  16. Published

    § 43 Erlaubnisfreie Benutzungen von Küstengewässern

    Sanden, J., 2014, Beck'scher Online-Kommentar Umweltrecht. Giesberts, L. & Reinhardt, M. (eds.). Ed. 34 ed. München: C.H. Beck Verlag

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksContributions in collection of commentariesResearch

  17. Published

    § 45 Reinhaltung von Küstengewässern

    Sanden, J., 2014, Beck'scher Online-Kommentar Umweltrecht. Giesberts, L. & Reinhardt, M. (eds.). Ed. 34 ed. München: C.H. Beck Verlag

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksContributions in collection of commentariesResearch

  18. Published

    § 62a Nationales Aktionsprogramm zum Schutz von Gewässern vor Nitrateinträgen aus Anlagen

    Sanden, J., 2014, Beck'scher Online-Kommentar Umweltrecht. Giesberts, L. & Reinhardt, M. (eds.). Ed. 34 ed. München: C.H. Beck Verlag

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksContributions in collection of commentariesResearch

  19. Published

    § 62 Anforderungen an den Umgang mit wassergefährdenden Stoffen

    Sanden, J., 2014, Beck'scher Online-Kommentar Umweltrecht. Giesberts, L. & Reinhardt, M. (eds.). Ed. 34 ed. München: C.H. Beck Verlag

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksContributions in collection of commentariesResearch

  20. Published

    § 63 Eignungsfeststellung

    Sanden, J., 2014, Beck'scher Online-Kommentar Umweltrecht. Giesberts, L. & Reinhardt, M. (eds.). Ed. 34 ed. München: C.H. Beck Verlag

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksContributions in collection of commentariesResearch

  21. Published

    A caring and sustainable economy: A concept note from a feminist perspective

    Biesecker, A., Darooka, P., Gottschlich, D., Lanuza, M., Röhr, U., Schildberg, C., Tovar-Restrepo, M. & Ventura Dias, V., 2014, Berlin: Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, 18 p. (International policy analysis).

    Research output: Working paperWorking papers