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

    Can guided introspection help avoid rationalization of meat consumption? Mixed-methods results of a pilot experimental study

    Frank, P., Heimann, K., Kolbe, V. & Schuster, C., 01.09.2022, In: Cleaner and Responsible Consumption. 6, 10 p., 100070.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  3. Published

    Das NinU-Raster zur Planung und Reflexion inklusiven naturwissenschaftlichen Unterrichts für Lehramtsstudierende

    Fühner, L., González, L. F., Weck, H., Pusch, A. & Abels, S., 01.09.2022, Inklusion in der Lehramtsausbildung – Lerngegenstände, Interaktionen und Prozesse . Schröter, A., Kortmann, M., Schulze, S., Kempfer, K., Anderson, S., Sevdiren, G., Bartz, J. & Kreutchen, C. (eds.). 1. ed. Münster: Waxmann Verlag, p. 63-78 16 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksContributions to collected editions/anthologiesResearchpeer-review

  4. Published

    Defining and Conceptualizing Impact Investing: Attractive Nuisance or Catalyst?

    Hockerts, K., Hehenberger, L., Schaltegger, S. & Farber, V., 01.09.2022, In: Journal of Business Ethics. 179, 4, p. 937-950 14 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  5. Published

    Earth stewardship: Shaping a sustainable future through interacting policy and norm shifts

    Chapin, F. S., Weber, E. U., Bennett, E. M., Biggs, R., van den Bergh, J., Adger, W. N., Crépin, A. S., Polasky, S., Folke, C., Scheffer, M., Segerson, K., Anderies, J. M., Barrett, S., Cardenas, J. C., Carpenter, S. R., Fischer, J., Kautsky, N., Levin, S. A., Shogren, J. F., Walker, B., Wilen, J. & de Zeeuw, A., 01.09.2022, In: Ambio. 51, 9, p. 1907-1920 14 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  6. Published

    Fettflecken untersuchen mit Graphical Analysis

    Stinken-Rösner, L., Wilhelm, T. & Kuhn, J., 01.09.2022, In: Physik in unserer Zeit. 53, 5, p. 254-255 2 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesTransfer

  7. Published

    Institutional entrepreneurship for responsible digital innovation: The case of corporate digital responsibility

    Trittin-Ulbrich, H. & Böckel, A., 01.09.2022, In: Creativity and Innovation Management. 31, 3, p. 447-459 13 p., 3.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  8. Published
  9. Published

    Land-use change differentially affects endemic, forest andopen-land butterflies in Madagascar

    Wurz, A., Grass, I., Lees, D. C., Rakotomalala, A. A. N. A., Sáfián, S., Martin, D. A., Osen, K., Loos, J., Benasoavina, E., Alexis, T. & Tscharntke, T., 01.09.2022, In: Insect Conservation and Diversity. 15, 5, p. 606-620 15 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  10. Published

    Placing Brazil's grasslands and savannas on the map of science and conservation

    Overbeck, G. E., Vélez-Martin, E., Menezes, L. D. S., Anand, M., Baeza, S., Carlucci, M. B., Dechoum, M. S., Durigan, G., Fidelis, A., Guido, A., Moro, M. F., Munhoz, C. B. R., Reginato, M., Rodrigues, R. S., Rosenfield, M. F., Sampaio, A. B., Barbosa da Silva, F. H., Silveira, F. A. O., Sosinski, Ê. E., Staude, I. R., Temperton, V. M., Turchetto, C., Veldman, J. W., Viana, P. L., Zappi, D. C. & Müller, S. C., 01.09.2022, In: Perspectives in Plant Ecology, Evolution and Systematics. 56, 125687.

    Research output: Journal contributionsScientific review articlesResearch

  11. Published

    Root biology never sleeps: 11th Symposium of the International Society of Root Research (ISRR11) and the 9th International Symposium on Root Development (Rooting2021), 24-28 May 2021

    Carley, C. N., Chen, G., Das, K. K., Delory, B. M., Dimitrova, A., Ding, Y., George, A. P., Greeley, L. A., Han, Q., Hendriks, P. W., Hernandez-Soriano, M. C., Li, M., Ng, J. L. P., Mau, L., Mesa-Marín, J., Miller, A. J., Rae, A. E., Schmidt, J., Thies, A., Topp, C. N., Wacker, T. S., Wang, P., Wang, X., Xie, L. & Zheng, C., 01.09.2022, In: The New phytologist. 235, 6, p. 2149-2154 6 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsComments / Debate / ReportsResearch