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. 2023
  2. Published

    Sustainability impact assessment of new ventures: An emerging field of research

    Fichter, K., Lüdeke-Freund, F., Schaltegger, S. & Schillebeeckx, S. J. D., 15.01.2023, In: Journal of Cleaner Production. 384, 12 p., 135452.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  3. Published

    Towards greener and sustainable ionic liquids using naturally occurring and nature-inspired pyridinium structures

    Suk, M. & Kümmerer, K., 07.01.2023, In: Green Chemistry . 25, 1, p. 365-374 10 p., 25.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  4. Published

    Funciones agroecológicas de los nichos de agrobiodiversidad en la ruralidad de Bogotá, Colombia

    Ortiz-Przychodzka, S., Quiroga Manrique, C., Monroy-Hernández, J. & Pérez, D., 01.01.2023, In: ÍCONOS Revista de Ciencias Sociales. 27, 75, p. 201-224 24 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  5. Published

    Nachhaltigkeit und Weltbeziehung: eine resonanztheoretische Untersuchung

    Gehlen, Y., 01.01.2023, Deutschland: Nomos Verlagsgesellschaft. 274 p. (Umweltsoziologie; vol. 12)

    Research output: Books and anthologiesMonographsResearch

  6. Published

    The role of institutions in food system transformations: lessons learned from transdisciplinary engagements in Ethiopia, the Philippines, and Indonesia

    Manlosa, A. O., Partelow, S., Jiren, T. S., Riechers, M. & Paramita, A. O., 01.01.2023, In: Ecosystems and People. 19, 1, 15 p., 2146753.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  7. Published

    Toward a modular evaluation approach of real-world laboratories: Findings from a literature review

    Kampfmann, T., Bernert, P. & Lang, D. J., 01.01.2023, In: Research Evaluation. 32, 1, p. 128-143 16 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsScientific review articlesResearch

  8. Published

    Values shift in response to social learning through deliberation about protected areas

    Andrade, R., van Riper, C. J., Goodson, D. J., Johnson, D. N., Stewart, W., López-Rodríguez, M. D., Cebrián-Piqueras, M. A., Horcea-Milcu, A. I., Lo, V. & Raymond, C. M., 01.01.2023, In: Global Environmental Change. 78, 12 p., 102630.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  9. Published

    Active First Movers vs. Late Free-Riders? An Empirical Analysis of UN PRI Signatories' Commitment

    Bauckloh, T., Schaltegger, S., Utz, S., Zeile, S. & Zwergel, B., 01.2023, In: Journal of Business Ethics. 182, 3, p. 747-781 35 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  10. Published

    Assembly history modulates vertical root distribution in a grassland experiment

    Alonso-Crespo, I. M., Weidlich, E. W. A., Temperton, V. M. & Delory, B. M., 01.2023, In: Oikos. 2023, 1, 13 p., e08886.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  11. Published

    Exploring the potential of SMEs to build individual, organizational, and community resilience through sustainability-oriented business practices

    DiBella, J., Forrest, N., Burch, S., Rao-Williams, J., Ninomiya, S. M., Hermelingmeier, V. & Chisholm, K., 01.2023, In: Business Strategy and the Environment. 32, 1, p. 721-735 15 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  12. Published

    „Ben, möchtest du auch abstimmen?“: Partizipationsprozesse in Klassenräten heterogener Lerngruppen aus interaktionistischer Perspektive

    Meyn, J., 2023, Partizipation, Wissen und Kommunikation im sonderpädagogischen Diskurs. Marek, G., Wolfram, K., Christian, L., Vera, O. & Stephan, S. (eds.). Bad Heilbrunn: Verlag Julius Klinkhardt, p. 118-127 10 p. (Perspektiven sonderpädagogischer Forschung).

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksContributions to collected editions/anthologiesResearchpeer-review

  13. Published

    Cradle to Cradle im Holzfertigbau: Analyse der Umsetzbarkeit des Cradle–to-Cradle-Prinzips bei Einfamilienhäusern in Holzfertigbauweise

    Lindner, S., 2023, Stuttgart: Fraunhofer IRB Verlag. 307 p.

    Research output: Books and anthologiesMonographsResearch

  14. Published

    Der neue Lehrplan Chemie für die Sekundarstufe I

    Hofer, E., Lembens, A. & Spitzer, P., 2023, In: Chemie & Schule. 38, 1, p. 20-23 4 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesTransfer

  15. Published

    Environmental Management Accounting – Developments Over the Last 20 years from a Framework Perspective

    Burritt, R., Schaltegger, S. & Christ, K. L., 2023, In: Australian Accounting Review. 33, 4, p. 336-351 16 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  16. Published

    Governing the co-production of nature's contributions to people: the road ahead

    Isaac, R., Albrecht, E., Felipe-Lucia, M. R., Piquer-Rodríguez, M., Winkler, K. J. & Martín-López, B., 2023, Advances in Ecological Research: Roadmaps: Part B. Bohan, D. A. & Dumbrell, A. J. (eds.). Academic Press Inc., p. 1-15 15 p. (Advances in Ecological Research; vol. 69).

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksChapterpeer-review

  17. Published

    Healthier and Sustainable Food Systems: Integrating Underutilised Crops in a ‘Theory of Change Approach’

    Pinto, E., Ferreira, H., Santos, C. S., da Silva, M. N., Styles, D., Migliorini, P., Ntatsi, G., Karkanis, A., Brémaud, M.-F., de Mey, Y., Meuwissen, M., Petrusan, J.-I., Smetana, S., Silva, B., Krenz, L. M. M., Pleissner, D., Profeta, A., Debeljak, M., Ivanovska, A., Balázs, B., Rubiales, D., Hawes, C., Iannetta, P. P. M. & Vasconcelos, M. W., 2023, Biodiversity, Functional Ecosystems and Sustainable Food Production. Galanakis, C. M. (ed.). Springer Schweiz, p. 275-323 49 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksChapter

  18. Published

    Klaus Dierßen (1948-2022) Obituary

    Härdtle, W. & Schrautzer, J., 2023, In: Tuexenia. 43, p. 357-373 17 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  19. Published

    Kommentar zum Fachlehrplan Chemie (Mittelschule/AHS Unterstufe)

    Hofer, E., Lembens, A. & Müller, A., 2023, Bundesministerium für Bildung, Wissenschaft und Forschung (Österreich).

    Research output: other publicationsArticles in scientific forums or blogsTransfer

  20. Published

    Konzept eines Orientierungsrahmens für den Lernbereich Globale Entwicklung im Fach Informatik im Rahmen der Bildung fur Nachhaltige Entwicklung

    Anthes, J., Diethelm, I., Kern, E., Röhner, G. & Stechert, P., 2023, Informatikunterricht zwischen Aktualitat und Zeitlosigkeit, INFOS 2023, 20. GI-Fachtagung Informatik und Schule. Hellmig, L. & Hennecke, M. (eds.). Bonn: Gesellschaft für Informatik e.V., p. 383-392 10 p. (Lecture Notes in Informatics (LNI), Proceedings - Series of the Gesellschaft fur Informatik (GI); vol. P-336).

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

  21. Published

    Low-Carbon Energy Transformation in China, India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan: An Overview

    Fahimi, A. & Stepputat, K., 2023, Electricity Access, Decarbonization, and Integration of Renewables: Insights and Lessons from the Energy Transformation in Bangladesh, South Asia, and Sub-Sahara Africa. Groh, S., Barner, L., Heinemann, G. & von Hirschhauen, C. (eds.). Springer Verlag, p. 87-112 26 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksChapter