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. 2021
  2. Published

    Implementing sustainable food forests: Extracting success factors through a cross-case comparison

    Albrecht, S. & Wiek, A., 21.12.2021, In: Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development . 11, 1, p. 183-200 18 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  3. Published
  4. Published

    Usually hated, sometimes loved: A review of wild ungulates' contributions to people

    Pascual-Rico, R., Morales-Reyes, Z., Aguilera-Alcalá, N., Olszańska, A., Sebastián-González, E., Naidoo, R., Moleón, M., Lozano Mendoza, J., Botella, F., von Wehrden, H., Martín-López, B. & Sánchez-Zapata, J. A., 20.12.2021, In: Science of the Total Environment. 801, 11 p., 149652.

    Research output: Journal contributionsScientific review articlesResearch

  5. Published

    Web Tool for the Identification of Industrial Symbioses in Industrial Parks

    Lütje, A., Leber, S., Scholten, J. & Wohlgemuth, V., 18.12.2021, Advances and New Trends in Environmental Informatics. Kamilaris, A., Wohlgemuth, V., Karatzas, K. & Athanasiadis, I. N. (eds.). Cham: Springer International Publishing AG, p. 19-34 16 p. (Progress in IS).

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksArticle in conference proceedingsResearch

  6. Published

    Species richness stabilizes productivity via asynchrony and drought-tolerance diversity in a large-scale tree biodiversity experiment

    Schnabel, F., Liu, X., Kunz, M., Barry, K., Bongers, F. J., Bruelheide, H., Fichtner, A., Härdtle, W., Li, S., Pfaff, C.-T., Schmid, B., Schwarz, J. A., Tang, Z., Yang, B., Bauhus, J., von Oheimb, G., Ma, K. & Wirth, C., 17.12.2021, In: Science Advances. 7, 51, 13 p., eabk1643.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  7. Published

    12 Fragen an Gerd Michelsen

    Michelsen, G., 16.12.2021, In: GAIA - Ecological Perspectives for Science and Society. 30, 4, p. 220-221 2 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsComments / Debate / ReportsResearch

  8. Published

    Transdisciplinary research: Towards an integrative perspective

    Lam, D. P. M., Freund, M. E., Kny, J., Marg, O., Mbah, M., Theiler, L., Bergmann, M., Brohmann, B., Lang, D. J. & Schäfer, M., 16.12.2021, In: GAIA. 30, 4, p. 243-249 7 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsScientific review articlesResearch

  9. Published

    Participation in multi-level policy implementation: exploring the influence of governance culture

    Gollata, J. A. M., Kochskämper, E., Jager, N. W. & Newig, J., 06.12.2021, In: Journal of Environmental Planning and Management. 64, 14, p. 2593-2617 25 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  10. Published

    An integrated, modular biorefinery for the treatment of food waste in urban areas

    Laibach, N., Müller, B., Pleissner, D., Raber, W. & Smetana, S., 01.12.2021, In: Case Studies in Chemical and Environmental Engineering. 4, 4 p., 100118.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  11. Published

    A three-armed randomised controlled trial investigating the comparative impact of guidance on the efficacy of a web-based stress management intervention and health impairing and promoting mechanisms of prevention

    Nixon, P., Boß, L., Heber, E., Ebert, D. D. & Lehr, D., 01.12.2021, In: BMC Public Health. 21, 1, 18 p., 1511.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  12. Published

    Comparative effectiveness of guided internet-based stress management training versus established in-person group training in employees – study protocol for a pragmatic, randomized, non-inferiority trial

    Boß, L., Angerer, P., Dragano, N., Ebert, D., Engels, M., Heber, E., Kuhlmann, R., Ruhle, S., Schwens, C., Wulf, I. C. & Lehr, D., 01.12.2021, In: BMC Public Health. 21, 1, 13 p., 2177.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  13. Published

    Correction to: A review of fire effects across South American ecosystems: the role of climate and time since fire (Fire Ecology, (2021), 17, 1, (11), 10.1186/s42408-021-00100-9)

    Giorgis, M. A., Zeballos, S. R., Carbone, L., Zimmermann, H., von Wehrden, H., Aguilar, R., Ferreras, A. E., Tecco, P. A., Kowaljow, E., Barri, F., Gurvich, D. E., Villagra, P. & Jaureguiberry, P., 01.12.2021, In: Fire Ecology. 17, 1, 1 p., 21.

    Research output: Journal contributionsOther (editorial matter etc.)Research

  14. Published
  15. Published

    Linking Sustainable Business Models and Supply Chains – Toward an Integrated Value Creation Framework

    Norris, S., Hagenbeck, J. & Schaltegger, S., 01.12.2021, In: Business Strategy and the Environment. 30, 8, p. 3960-3974 15 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  16. Published

    Möglichkeiten der Optimierung einjähriger Blühstreifen für blütenbesuchende Insekten: Eine Fallstudie aus dem Nordwestdeutschen Tiefland

    Grabener, S., Hein, S., Härdtle, W., Aßmann, T., Boutaud, E., Kubiak, M., Luck, F. V., Schmid-Egger, C., Scholz, T., Ssymank, A., Ullrich, K., Zumstein, P. & Drees, C., 01.12.2021, In: Natur und Landschaft. 96, 12, p. 561 - 569 9 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  17. Published

    Participatory scenario planning to facilitate human-wildlife coexistence

    Jiren, T. S., Riechers, M., Kansky, R. & Fischer, J., 01.12.2021, In: Conservation Biology. 35, 6, p. 1957-1965 9 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  18. Published

    Teaching Sustainable Development in a Sensory and Artful Way — Concepts, Methods, and Examples

    Heinrichs, H., 01.12.2021, In: Sustainability. 13, 24, 15 p., 13619.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  19. Published

    The contribution of material circularity to sustainability—Recycling and reuse of textiles

    Keßler, L., Matlin, S. A. & Kümmerer, K., 01.12.2021, In: Current Opinion in Green and Sustainable Chemistry. 32, 10 p., 100535.

    Research output: Journal contributionsScientific review articlesResearch

  20. Published

    Cradle to Cradle The new Recycling Quality

    Braungart, M., 12.2021, In: Wochenblatt für Papierfabrikation. 149, 12, p. 700-701 2 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsOther (editorial matter etc.)Research

  21. Published

    Competencies for Advancing Transformations Towards Sustainability

    Redman, A. & Wiek, A., 30.11.2021, In: Frontiers in Education. 6, 11 p., 785163.

    Research output: Journal contributionsScientific review articlesResearch