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. 2011
  2. Published

    Identification of perfluoroalkyl acid sources in Swiss surface waters with the help of the artificial sweetener acesulfame

    Müller, C. E., Gerecke, A. C., Alder, A. C., Scheringer, M. & Hungerbühler, K., 01.05.2011, In: Environmental Pollution. 159, 5, p. 1419-1426 8 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  3. Published

    Tracking the origin of invasive Rosa rubiginosa populations in Argentina

    Hirsch, H., Zimmermann, H., Ritz, C., Wissemann, V., von Wehrden, H., Renison, D., Wesche, K., Welk, E. & Hensen, I., 01.05.2011, In: International Journal of Plant Sciences. 172, 4, p. 530-540 11 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  4. Published

    Municipal wastewater treatment and biomass accumulation with a wastewater-born and settleable algal-bacterial culture

    Su, Y., Mennerich, A. & Urban, B., 05.2011, In: Water Research. 45, 11, p. 3351-3358 8 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  5. Published

    Predation risk indirectly enhances survival of seaweed recruits but not intraspecific competition in an intermediate herbivore species

    Molis, M., Preuss, I., Firmenich, A. & Ellrich, J., 05.2011, In: Journal of Ecology. 99, 3, p. 807-817 11 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  6. Published

    Response to David B. Brooks

    Wegerich, K. & Olsson, O., 05.2011, In: Water International. 36, 3, p. 410-413 4 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  7. Published

    Schutzgebiete im Klimawandel – Risiken für Schutzgüter

    Vohland, K., Badeck, F., Böhning-Gaese, K., Hanspach, J., Klotz, S., Kühn, I., Laube, I., Schwager, M., Trautmann, S. & Cramer, W., 05.2011, In: Natur und Landschaft. 86, 5, p. 204-213 10 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  8. Published

    Sustainable Entrepreneurship and Sustainability Innovation: Categories and Interactions

    Schaltegger, S. & Wagner, M., 05.2011, In: Business Strategy and the Environment. 20, 4, p. 222-237 16 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  9. Published

    The effect of hunting regimes on tree regeneration in lowland beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) forests

    Fichtner, A., Sturm, K., Wagner, J., Huckauf, A. & Ellenberg, H., 05.2011, In: Forstarchiv. 82, 3, p. 75-81 7 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  10. Published

    The relationship between resilience and sustainability of ecological-economic systems

    Derissen, S., Quaas, M. F. & Baumgärtner, S., 15.04.2011, In: Ecological Economics. 70, 6, p. 1121-1128 8 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  11. Published

    Developing European conservation and mitigation tools for pollination services: approaches of the STEP (Status and Trends of European Pollinators) project

    Potts, S. G., Biesmeijer, J. C., Bommarco, R., Felicioli, A., Fischer, M., Jokinen, P., Kleijn, D., Klein, A.-M., Kunin, W. E., Neumann, P., Penev, L. D., Petanidou, T., Rasmont, P., Roberts, S. P. M., Smith, H. G., Sorensen, P. B., Steffan-Dewenter, I., Vaissiere, B. E., Vila, M., Vujic, A., Woychiechowski, M., Zobel, M., Settele, J. & Schweiger, O., 13.04.2011, In: Journal of Apicultural Research. 50, 2, p. 152-164 13 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsScientific review articlesResearch