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. 2013
  2. Published

    Signalarten - ein praxisnaher Beitrag zur Erfassung der Naturnähe und Biodiversität in Wäldern

    Fichtner, A. & Lüderitz, M., 09.2013, In: Natur und Landschaft. 88, 9/10, p. 392-399 8 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  3. Published

    Simultaneous Determination of 11 Sulfonamides by HPLC–UV and Application for Fast Screening of Their Aerobic Elimination and Biodegradation in a Simple Test

    Mahmoud, W. M. M., Khaleel, N. D. H., Hadad, G. M., Abdel-Salam, R. A., Haiß, A. & Kümmerer, K., 09.2013, In: Clean - Soil, Air, Water. 41, 9, p. 907-916 10 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  4. Published

    Mountain cold-trapping increases transfer of persistent organic pollutants from atmosphere to cows' milk

    Shunthirasingham, C., Wania, F., MacLeod, M., Lei, Y. D., Quinn, C. L., Zhang, X., Scheringer, M., Wegmann, F., Hungerbühler, K., Ivemeyer, S., Heil, F., Klocke, P., Pacepavicius, G. & Alaee, M., 20.08.2013, In: Environmental Science & Technology. 47, 16, p. 9175-9181 7 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  5. Published

    Develop, then intensify

    Hanspach, J., Abson, D. J., Loos, J., Tichit, M., Chappell, M. J. & Fischer, J., 16.08.2013, In: Science. 341, 6147, p. 713-713 1 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  6. Published

    Crown size-growth relationships of European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) are driven by the interplay of disturbance intensity and inter-specific competition

    Fichtner, A., Sturm, K., Rickert, C., von Oheimb, G. & Härdtle, W., 15.08.2013, In: Forest Ecology and Management. 302, p. 178-184 7 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  7. Published

    A comparative survey of chemistry-driven in silico methods to identify hazardous substances under REACH

    Nendza, M., Gabbert, S., Kühne, R., Lombardo, A., Roncaglioni, A., Benfenati, E., Benigni, R., Bossa, C., Strempel, S., Scheringer, M., Fernández, A., Rallo, R., Giralt, F., Dimitrov, S., Mekenyan, O., Bringezu, F. & Schüürmann, G., 01.08.2013, In: Regulatory toxicology and pharmacology : RTP. 66, 3, p. 301-314 14 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  8. Published

    Pesticide and Greenhouse Gas Externalities from US Agriculture: The Impact of their Internalization and Climate Change

    Shakhramanyan, D. N. G., Schneider, U. A. & McCarl, B. A., 01.08.2013, In: Climate Change Economics. 4, 3, 28 p., 1350008 .

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  9. Published

    Ant seed predation, pesticide applications and farmers income from tropical multi-cropping gardens

    Motzke, I., Tscharntke, T., Klein, A.-M., Wanger, T. C. & Sodhi, N. S., 08.2013, In: Agricultural and Forest Entomology. 15, 3, p. 245-254 10 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  10. Published

    A review of transdisciplinary research in sustainability science

    Brandt, P., Ernst, A., Gralla, F., Lüderitz, C., Lang, D., Newig, J., Reinert, F., Abson, D. & von Wehrden, H., 08.2013, In: Ecological Economics. 92, August, p. 1-15 15 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsScientific review articlesResearch

  11. Published

    Braucht Nachhaltigkeit die Geschlechterperspektive?

    Katz, C. & Thiem, A., 08.2013, Zukunftsfähige Berufe: Umweltberufe - modern und vielfältig. Büro für nachhaltige Kompetenz (ed.). Wien: FORUM Umweltbildung im Umweltdachverband, p. 72-83 12 p. (forum exkurse; vol. 10).

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