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

    § 66 Übergangsbestimmungen

    Schomerus, T. & Ohms, M. J., 04.2011, Erneuerbare- Energien-Gesetz : Kommentar. Frenz, W. & Müggenborg, H.-J. (eds.). 2. ed. Erich Schmidt Verlag, p. 1202-1236 35 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksContributions in collection of commentariesResearch

  3. Published

    "Brauchen wir einen Grünen im Vorstand?": [Kommentar]

    Schaltegger, S., 04.2011, In: Harvard Business Manager. 33, 4, p. 95 1 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsComments / Debate / ReportsResearch

  4. Published

    Correlation of six anthropogenic markers in wastewater, surface water, bank filtrate, and soil aquifer treatment

    Scheurer, M., Storck, F. R., Graf, C., Brauch, H.-J., Ruck, W., Lev, O. & Lange, F. T., 04.2011, In: Journal of Environmental Monitoring. 13, 4, p. 966-973 8 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearch

  5. Published

    Does habitat heterogeneity increase farmland biodiversity ?

    Batary, P., Fischer, J., Baldi, A., Crist, T. O. & Tscharntke, T., 04.2011, In: Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment. 9, 3, p. 152-153 2 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsComments / Debate / ReportsResearch

  6. Published

    Fate of airborne nitrogen in heathland ecosystems a - 15N tracer study

    Friedrich, U., Falk, K., Bahlmann, E., Marquardt, T., Meyer, H., Niemeyer, T., Schemmel, S., Oheimb, G. & Härdtle, W., 04.2011, In: Global Change Biology. 17, 4, p. 1549-1559 11 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  7. Published

    Inside-sediment partitioning of PAH, PCB and organochlorine compounds and inferences on sampling and normalization methods

    Opel, O., Palm, W.-U., Steffen, D. & Ruck, W., 04.2011, In: Environmental Pollution. 159, 4, p. 924-931 8 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  8. Published

    Total consumer exposure to polybrominated diphenyl ethers in North America and Europe

    Trudel, D., Scheringer, M., von Goetz, N. & Hungerbühler, K., 15.03.2011, In: Environmental Science & Technology. 45, 6, p. 2391-2397 7 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  9. Published

    Endemic predators, invasive prey and native diversity

    Wanger, T. C., Wielgoss, A. C., Motzke, I., Clough, Y., Brook, B. W., Sodhi, N. S. & Tscharntke, T., 07.03.2011, In: Proceedings of the Royal Society B . 278, 1706, p. 690-694 5 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  10. Published

    Analyse non linéaire des récessions de l'écoulement de base dans des bassins versants à écoulements intermittents

    Aksoy, H. & Wittenberg, H., 01.03.2011, In: Hydrological Sciences Journal. 56, 2, p. 226-237 12 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearch

  11. Published

    Potential exposure of German consumers to engineered nanoparticles in cosmetics and personal care products

    Lorenz, C., Von Goetz, N., Scheringer, M., Wormuth, M. & Hungerbühler, K., 01.03.2011, In: Nanotoxicology. 5, 1, p. 12-29 18 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review