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. 2009
  2. Published

    Capacity building on sustainable flood risk and water management - transnational and transdisiclipnary activities in the Northsea region

    Evers, M., Nyberg, L., Geißler, T. R. & Arthur, S., 2009, Road Map towards a flood resilient urban environment: Proceedings Final conference of the COST action C22 Urban Flood Management in cooperation with UNESCO-IHP Paris 26/27.11.2009. Pasche, E., Evelpidou, N., Zevenbergen, C., Ashley, R. & Garvin, S. (eds.). Institut für Wasserbau der Technischen Universität Hamburg, 10 p. (Hamburger Wasserbau-Schriften; vol. 6).

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

  3. Published

    Chemikalien-Governance: Chemikalienregulierung aus ökonomischer Perspektive

    Tschochohei, H., 2009, 1., Aufl. ed. Frankfurt am Main: Peter Lang Verlag. 228 p.

    Research output: Books and anthologiesMonographsResearch

  4. Published

    Coherence of European legal and structural conditions in water, wetland and flood risk management

    Evers, M., 2009, HydroEco 2009: International multidisciplinary conference on hydrology and ecology : ecosystems interfacing with groundwater and surface water ; Proceedings. Bruthans, J., Kovar, K. & Nachtnebel, P. (eds.). 10 p.

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

  5. Published

    Competence-Building in Sustainability

    Schaltegger, S., 2009, In: Public Service Review. 4, p. 182-183 2 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearch

  6. Published

    Complementary biomass strategy: applying the ecosystem services concept in sustainable landscape management

    Brüll, A., 2009, European landscapes in transformation: Challenges for landscape ecology and management. Jürgen, B., Finka, M. & Kozová, M. (eds.). Universität Salzburg, p. 404-408 4 p.

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

  7. Published
  8. Published

    Corporate Social Responsibility

    Czymmek, F., Freier, I., Hesselbarth, C. & Kleine, A., 2009, Betriebliches Umweltmanagement: nachhaltiges Wirtschaften in Unternehmen. Baumast, A. & Pape, J. (eds.). 4., korr. ed. Stuttgart: Eugen-Ulmer-Verlag, p. 241-254 14 p.

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

  9. Published

    Defining and reorienting competencies for sustainable global change

    Barth, M. & Drovandi, A., 2009, World in Transition: Sustainability Perspectives for Higher Education. Adomssent, M., Beringer, A. & Barth, M. (eds.). Bad Homburg v. d. Höhe: VAS Verlag für Akademische Schriften, p. 64-65 2 p. (Higher education for sustainability; no. 4).

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

  10. Published

    Dehydration and Pelletisation of Agricultural Biomass by Extrusion

    Müller, J., Lüdeke-Freund, F. & Lutzenberger, A., 2009, From research to industry and markets. G. F., D. S. (ed.). Hamburg, p. 427-429

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

  11. Published