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. 2012
  2. Published

    Towards a More Sustainable Use of Scarce Metals: A Review of Intervention Options along the Metals Life Cycle

    Wäger, P. A., Lang, D. J., Wittmer, D., Bleischwitz, R. & Hagelüken, C., 11.12.2012, In: GAIA. 21, 4, p. 300 - 309 10 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsScientific review articlesResearch

  3. Published

    Umweltbewusstsein und Medien: Können Filme unser Alltagshandeln verändern?

    Lüdecke, G., 07.12.2012, Hier spielt die Zukunft. : Mit Kindern Nachhaltigkeit entdecken, verstehen – und gemeinsam handeln. 1 ed. Leuchtpol, Vol. 1. p. 35-36 2 p. (Schriftenreihe der Arbeitsgemeinschaft Natur- und Umweltbildung Bundesverband e. V.; vol. 26)(Leuchtpol Bibliothek; vol. 11).

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksArticle in conference proceedingsTransfer

  4. Published

    A longitudinal analysis of the knowledge and application of sustainability management tools in large German companies

    Schaltegger, S., Windolph, S. E. & Herzig, C., 01.12.2012, In: Society and Economy. 34, 4, p. 549-579 31 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  5. Published

    Rolling out Corporate Sustainability Accounting: A Set of Challenges

    Zvezdov, D., 01.12.2012, In: Journal of Environmental Sustainability. 2, 2, p. 19-28 10 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  6. Published
  7. Published

    Assessment of trace metal contamination in a historical freshwater canal (Buckingham Canal), Chennai, India

    Jayaprakash, M., Nagarajan, R., Velmurugan, P. M., Sathiyamoorthy, J., Krishnamurthy, R. R. & Urban, B., 12.2012, In: Environmental Monitoring and Assessment. 184, 12, p. 7407-7424 18 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  8. Published

    Competition response of European beech Fagus sylvatica L. varies with tree size and abiotic stress: Minimizing anthropogenic disturbances in forests

    Fichtner, A., Sturm, K., Rickert, C., Härdtle, W. & Schrautzer, J., 12.2012, In: The Journal of Applied Ecology. 49, 6, p. 1306-1315 10 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearch

  9. Published

    High Trophic Similarity in the Sympatric North European Trawling Bat Species Myotis daubentonii and Myotis dasycneme

    Krüger, F., Harms, I., Fichtner, A., Wolz, I. & Sommer, R. S., 12.2012, In: Acta Chiropterologica. 14, 2, p. 347-356 10 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  10. Published

    Linking bird species traits to vegetation characteristics in a future urban development zone: Implications for urban planning

    Ikin, K., Lindenmayer, D. B., Fischer, J., Manning, A. D. & Knight, E., 12.2012, In: Urban Ecosystems. 15, 4, p. 961-977 17 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  11. Published

    Primary source regions of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) measured in the Arctic

    Ubl, S., Scheringer, M., Stohl, A., Burkhart, J. & Hungerbühler, K., 12.2012, In: Atmospheric Environment. 62, p. 391-399 9 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  12. Published

    Prozesse der Energiewende wissenschaftlich gestalten: Wichtige Impulse aus den NaWis-Institutionen

    Heinrichs, H., Mans, U., Alvarez, A., Schomerus, T. & Goldammer, K., 12.2012, In: GAIA. 21, 4, p. 316-318 3 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  13. Published

    German climate and energy legislation: an ambitious but fragmented framework

    Schomerus, T., 30.11.2012, Climate Law in EU Member States: Towards National Legislation for Climate Protection. Peeters, M., Stallworthy, M. & de Cendra de Larragan, J. (eds.). Edward Elgar Publishing, p. 178-202 25 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksChapterpeer-review

  14. Published

    Biodiversität erfolgreich managen

    Schaltegger, S., 23.11.2012, In: Ökologisches Wirtschaften. 27, 4, p. 10-11 2 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearch

  15. Published

    Lessons from community-based payment for ecosystem service schemes: From forests to rangelands

    Dougill, A. J., Stringer, L. C., Leventon, J., Riddell, M., Rueff, H., Spracklen, D. V. & Butt, E., 19.11.2012, In: Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. 367, 1606, p. 3178-3190 13 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  16. Published

    Measuring the (Un-)Sustainability of Industrial Biomass Production and Use

    Burritt, R. & Schaltegger, S., 16.11.2012, In: Sustainability Accounting, Management and Policy Journal. 3, 2, p. 109-133 25 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  17. Published

    Bats in a Farming Landscape Benefit from Linear Remnants and Unimproved Pastures

    Lentini, P. E., Gibbons, P., Fischer, J., Law, B., Hanspach, J. & Martin, T. G., 14.11.2012, In: PLoS ONE. 7, 11, 13 p., e48201.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  18. Published

    An academia beyond quantity: a reply to Loyola et al. and Halme et al.

    Fischer, J., Hanspach, J. & Ritchie, E. G., 01.11.2012, In: Trends in Ecology and Evolution. 27, 11, p. 587-588 2 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsComments / Debate / ReportsResearch

  19. Published

    Decline of an endangered amphibian during an extreme climatic event

    Scheele, B. C., Driscoll, D. A., Fischer, J. & Hunter, D. A., 01.11.2012, In: Ecosphere. 3, 11, p. 1-15 15 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  20. Published

    Fukushima disaster indirectly threatens lake ecosystems

    Matsuzaki, S.-I., Von Wehrden, H., Møller, A. P. & Takamura, N., 01.11.2012, In: Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment. 10, 9, p. 464-464 1 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsComments / Debate / ReportsResearch

  21. Published

    Functional trait similarity of native and invasive herb species in subtropical China-Environment-specific differences are the key

    Bachmann, D., Both, S., Bruelheide, H., Erfmeier, A., Ding, B.-Y., Gao, M., Härdtle, W. & Scherer-Lorenzen, M., 01.11.2012, In: Environmental and Experimental Botany. 83, p. 82-92 11 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review