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. 2010
  2. Published

    Measuring and Communicating Corporate Sustainability

    Zvezdov, D. (Editor), 2010, Lüneburg: Centre for Sustainability Management. 19 p. (CSM-Newsletter; vol. 1/2010)

    Research output: Books and anthologiesSpecial Journal issueTransfer

  3. Published

    Meeting the challenges of global change: the significance of cultural questions to Education for Sustainable Development – theoretical approaches and practical experience

    Holz, V., 2010, Lifelong Learning and Active Citizenship: Proceedings of the twelfth Conference of the Children´s Identity and Citizenship in Europe. Cunningham, P. & Fretwell, N. (eds.). CiCe, p. 668-677 10 p.

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

  4. Published

    Merkmalsextraktion und semantische Integration von Ultrabreitband-Sensoren zur Erkennung von Notfällen

    Sachs, J., Helbig, M., Herrmann, R., Welge, R. & Bollow, E., 2010, Ambient Assisted Living 2010: 3. Deutscher AAL-Kongress mit Ausstellung Assistenzsysteme im Dienste des Menschen - Zuhause und Unterwegs, 26. - 27. Januar 2010 in Berlin ; Tagungsbandbeiträge. Berlin u.a.: VDE Verlag GmbH, 5 p.

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

  5. Published

    Methoden transdisziplinärer Forschung: Ein Überblick mit Anwendungsbeispielen

    Bergmann, M., Jahn, T., Knobloch, T., Krohn, W., Pohl, C. & Schramm, E., 2010, Frankfurt am Main: Campus Verlag. 295 p.

    Research output: Books and anthologiesMonographsResearch

  6. Published

    Moving Ahead: Environmental Sociology’s Contribution to Inter- and Transdisciplinary Research

    Groß, M. & Heinrichs, H., 2010, Environmental Sociology : European Perspectives and Interdisciplinary Challenges. Gross, M. & Heinrichs, H. (eds.). Dordrecht u.a.: Springer, p. 347-351 5 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksChapterpeer-review

  7. Published

    Multi-Level Water Governance: Coping with Problems of Scale

    Newig, J. (Editor) & Moss, T. (Editor), 2010, Springer. 142 p. (Environmental Management; vol. 46, no. 1)

    Research output: Books and anthologiesSpecial Journal issueResearch

  8. Published

    Multiple Glacial Refuges of Unwinged Ground Beetles in Europe: Molecular Data Support Classical Phylogeographic Models

    Drees, C., Matern, A., Oheimb, G., Reimann, T. & Aßmann, T., 2010, Relict species: Phylogeography and conservation biology. Habel, J. C. & Aßmann, T. (eds.). Berlin ; Heidelberg: Springer, p. 199-215 17 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksChapterpeer-review

  9. Published

    Nachhaltiges Mobilitätsmanagement bei KPMG

    Heinrichs, H., 2010, In: Glocalist Review. 252, p. 21-22 2 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  10. Published

    Nachhaltigkeit als Treiber des Unternehmenserfolgs: Folgerungen für die Entwicklung eines Nachhaltigkeitscontrollings

    Schaltegger, S., 2010, In: Controlling. 22, 4/5, p. 238-243 6 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  11. Published

    Nachhaltigkeit braucht Auseinandersetzung

    Stoltenberg, U., 2010, Nachhaltige Waldwirtschaft: Ein Förderschwerpunkt des Bundesministeriums für Bildung und Forschung in der Bilanz. Helmholtz-Zentrum für Umweltforschung, UFZ, p. 115 1 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksContributions to collected editions/anthologiesResearch