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. 2022
  2. Published

    Indikatoren für kleine und mittlere Kommunen

    Redenius, P. & Heinrichs, H., 24.10.2022, Institut für Nachhaltigkeitssteuerung (INSUGO), p. 1-8, 8 p. (Schriftenreihe Nachhaltigkeit, Politik, Gesellschaft.; no. 2).

    Research output: Working paperExpert opinions

  3. Published

    Does Sharing with Neighbours Work? Accounts of Success and Failure from Two German Housing Experimentations

    Huber, A., 20.10.2022, In: Housing, Theory and Society. 39, 5, p. 524-554 31 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  4. Published

    Modeling items for text comprehension assessment using confirmatory factor analysis

    Tschense, M. & Wallot, S., 20.10.2022, In: Frontiers in Psychology. 13, 10 p., 966347.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  5. Published

    The Efficacy of a Web-Based Stress Management Intervention for Employees Experiencing Adverse Working Conditions and Occupational Self-efficacy as a Mediator: Randomized Controlled Trial

    Nixon, P., Ebert, D. D., Boß, L., Angerer, P., Dragano, N. & Lehr, D., 20.10.2022, In: Journal of Medical Internet Research. 24, 10, 16 p., e40488.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  6. Published

    Landscape products for sustainable agricultural landscapes

    García-Martín, M., Huntsinger, L., Ibarrola-Rivas, M. J., Penker, M., D’Ambrosio, U., Dimopoulos, T., Fernández-Giménez, M. E., Kizos, T., Muñoz-Rojas, J., Saito, O., Zimmerer, K. S., Abson, D. J., Liu, J., Quintas-Soriano, C., Sørensen, I. H., Verburg, P. H. & Plieninger, T., 18.10.2022, In: Nature Food. 3, 10, p. 814-821 8 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  7. Published

    Reallabore als Lernräume: Nachhaltige Stadt- und Kommunalentwicklung

    Bürgener, L., Drautz, S. & Lang, D. J., 15.10.2022, In: Politische Ökologie. 40, 170, p. 72-77 6 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearch

  8. Published

    Understanding positive contributions to sustainability. A systematic review

    Dijkstra-Silva, S., Schaltegger, S. & Beske-Janssen, P., 15.10.2022, In: Journal of Environmental Management. 320, 11 p., 115802.

    Research output: Journal contributionsScientific review articlesResearch

  9. Published

    Developing ESD-specific professional action competence for teachers: knowledge, skills, and attitudes in implementing ESD at the school level

    Brandt, J.-O., Barth, M., Hale, A. & Merritt, E., 11.10.2022, In: Environmental Education Research. 28, 12, p. 1691-1729 39 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  10. Published

    Meaning-making in higher education for sustainable development: Undergraduates’ long-term processes of experiencing and learning

    Sundermann, A., Weiser, A. & Barth, M., 10.10.2022, In: Environmental Education Research. 28, 11, p. 1616-1634 19 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  11. Published

    The Food Waste Lab: Improving food waste reduction behavior through education

    Mariam, N., Nina, L., Fabian, B., Florence, Z., Abels, S., Ulf, S. & Daniel, F., 10.10.2022, In: Journal of Cleaner Production. 370, 133447.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review