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. 2003
  2. Published

    Nachhaltigkeitsmanagement im Spannungsfeld von inner- und außerbetrieblicher Interessenpolitik

    Schaltegger, S., 01.01.2003, Handbuch nachhaltige Entwicklung. Linne, G. & Schwarz, M. (eds.). Opladen: Verlag Leske + Budrich, p. 147-158 12 p.

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

  3. Published

    The Influence of ISO 14001 and EMAS Certification on Environmental and Economic Performance of Firms: An Empirical Analysis

    Wagner, M., 01.01.2003, Environmental management accounting: Purpose and Progress. Bennett, M., Rikhardsson, P. M. & Schaltegger, S. (eds.). Dordrecht: Springer Netherlands, p. 367-386 20 p.

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

  4. Published

    Dynamics of species diversity and composition of herbaceous vegetation in fenced and unfenced plots

    Oheimb, G., Kriebitzsch, W.-U. & Ellenberg, H., 01.2003, In: Allgemeine Forst- und Jagdzeitung. 174, 1, p. 1-7 7 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  5. Published

    Anforderungen an die Stilllegung und Nachsorge von Deponien im europäischen Kontext

    Kempkes, J.-H., 2003, Berlin: Tenea Verlag für Medien. 254 p.

    Research output: Books and anthologiesMonographsResearch

  6. Published

    An Introduction to Corporate Environmental Management: Striving for Sustainability

    Schaltegger, S., Burritt, R. & Petersen, H., 2003, Sheffield: Greenleaf Publishing. 384 p.

    Research output: Books and anthologiesMonographsResearch

  7. Published

    Ärger in der Freundschaft: Herausforderung und Folgen

    Salisch, M., Vogelgesang, J. & Oppl, C., 2003, Aggressives Verhalten bei Kindern und Jugendlichen: Ursachen, Prävention, Behandlung. Lehmkuhl, U. (ed.). Göttingen: Vandenhoeck and Ruprecht GmbH and Co. KG, p. 146-156 11 p.

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

  8. Published

    Artenvielfalt in norddeutschen Wäldern: welche Gefäßpflanzen sind waldtypisch?

    Schmidt, M., Oheimb, G., Kriebitzsch, W. U. & Ellenberg, H., 2003, In: AFZ, der Wald. 58, 2, p. 96-99 4 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearch

  9. Published

    Ausbildung professioneller Nachhaltigkeitskommunikatoren: innovativ, interdisziplinär, international

    Godemann, J. & Franz-Balsen, A., 2003, Neue Chemie: Reagenzien eines nachhaltigen Umgangs mit Stoffen . Mertz, T. (ed.). oekom verlag GmbH, p. 7-9 3 p. (Politische Ökologie; vol. 86, no. 6/2003).

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

  10. Published

    Besondere Aspekte mittelflüchtiger und schwer abbaubarer organischer Spurenstoffe

    Palm, W.-U., 2003, In: Mitteilungen der Fachgruppe Umweltchemie und Ökotoxikologie. 9, 2, p. 12,23 1 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearch

  11. Published