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

    Sustainability Management

    Schaltegger, S., 2013, Encyclopedia of Corporate Social Responsibility. Idowu, S. O., Capaldi, N., Zu, L. & Das Gupta, A. (eds.). Heidelberg, New York: Springer, p. 2384-2388 5 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksArticles for encyclopediaResearch

  3. Published

    Sustainability-Oriented Innovation

    Hansen, E. G. & Grosse-Dunker, F., 2013, Encyclopedia of Corporate Social Responsibility. Idowu, S. O., Capaldi, N., Zu, L. & Das Gupta, A. (eds.). Heidelberg, New York: Springer, Vol. Volume 1. p. 2407–2417 11 p.

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

  4. Published

    Sustainable Entrepreneurship

    Schaltegger, S., 2013, Encyclopedia of Corporate Social Responsibility. Idowu, S. O., Capaldi, N., Zu, L. & Das Gupta, A. (eds.). Heidelberg: Springer, p. 2458-2462 5 p.

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

  5. Published

    Taking stock–Three years of addressing societal challenges on community level through action research: Pilot specific synthesis report

    Wittmayer, J. M., Mock, M., van Steenbergen, F., Baasch, S., Omann, I. & Schäpke, N., 2013, Berlin, 51 p.

    Research output: Working paperProject reportsResearch

  6. Published

    Teamarbeit: Honigbienen können nur gemeinsam mit wildlebenden Insekten die Bestäubung von Kulturpflanzen sichern

    Klein, A.-M., 2013, In: Deutsches Bienen-Journal. 21, 5, p. 12-13 2 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  7. Published

    Technische, betriebswirtschaftliche und rechtlichte Analyse des Einsatzes regionaler virtueller Kraftwerke in der Region Nord: Anwendungsbeispiel Blockstromversorgung bei Schiffen

    Grumm, F., Holstenkamp, L., Maly, C., Mattner, S., Meister, M., Plenz, M., Storjohann, J., Degenhart, H., Schomerus, T. & Schulz, D., 2013, Konferenz für Nachhaltige Energieversorgung und Integration von Speichern - NEIS 2013: Tagungsband. Schulz, D. (ed.). Hamburg: Helmut-Schmidt-Universität, p. 174-181 8 p.

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

  8. Published

    The Discipline of Environmental Management Accounting (EMA): A Bibliometric Literature Review

    Schaltegger, S., Gibassier, D. & Zvezdov, D., 2013, EMAN - EU 2013 Conference MATERIAL FLOW COST A CCOUNTING: CONFERENCE PROCEED INGS. Guenther, E. & Bergmann, A. (eds.). Dresden: TU Dresden, Faculty of Business and Economics, p. 1-5 5 p.

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

  9. Published

    The hidden hand that shapes conceptual understanding: Choosing effective representations for teaching cell division and climate change

    Niebert, K., Riemeier, T. & Gropengießer, H., 2013, Multiple representations in biological education. Tsui, C. Y. & Treagust, D. (eds.). Dordrecht: Springer, p. 293-310 18 p. (Models and Modeling in Science Education; vol. 7).

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

  10. Published

    The Limits to Voluntary Private Social Standards in Global Agri-food System Governance

    Challies, E., 2013, In: International Journal of Sociology of Agriculture and Food. 20, 2, p. 175-195 21 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  11. Published

    The Manager’s Job at BP: Decision Making and Responsibilities on the High Seas

    Lüdeke-Freund, F. & Zvezdov, D., 2013, In: International Journal of Case Studies in Management. 11, 2, p. 1-32 32 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesEducationpeer-review