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

    Green and Sustainable Extraction of High-Value Compounds: Protein from Food Supply Chain Waste

    Zanotti, K., Stahl, A. M., Segatto, M. L. & Zuin, V. G., 29.03.2022, Sustainable Separation Engineering: Materials, Techniques and Process Development. Szekely, G. & Zhao, D. (eds.). Wiley-VCH Verlag, p. 63-104 42 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksChapterpeer-review

  3. Published

    Time and sustainability: A missing link in formal education curricula

    Grauer, C., Fischer, D. & Frank, P., 29.03.2022, In: Journal of Environmental Education. 53, 1, p. 22-41 20 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  4. Published

    Water, rivers and wetlands: Governance paradigms and principles

    Challies, E. & Newig, J., 25.03.2022, Routledge Handbook of Global Environmental Politics, Second Edition. Harris, P. G. (ed.). Taylor and Francis Inc., p. 512-525 14 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksChapterpeer-review

  5. Published

    “I’ll Worry About It Tomorrow” – Fostering Emotion Regulation Skills to Overcome Procrastination

    Schuenemann, L., Scherenberg, V., Eckert, M. & Salisch, M., 22.03.2022, In: Frontiers in Psychology. 13, 13 p., 780675.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  6. Published

    Green infrastructure connectivity analysis across spatiotemporal scales: A transferable approach in the Ruhr Metropolitan Area, Germany

    Wang, J., Rienow, A., David, M. & Albert, C., 20.03.2022, In: Science of the Total Environment. 813, 152463.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  7. Published

    Neighbourhood Species Richness Reduces Crown Asymmetry of Subtropical Trees in Sloping Terrain

    Perles García, M. D., Kunz, M., Fichtner, A., Meyer, N., Härdtle, W. & von Oheimb, G., 16.03.2022, In: Remote Sensing. 14, 6, 14 p., 1441.

    Research output: Journal contributionsComments / Debate / ReportsResearch

  8. Published

    Three source-partitioning of CO2 fluxes based on a dual-isotope approach to investigate interactions between soil organic carbon, glucose and straw

    Chen, Z., Kumar, A., Brookes, P. C., Kuzyakov, Y., Luo, Y. & Xu, J., 10.03.2022, In: Science of the Total Environment. 811, 10 p., 152163.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  9. Published

    Planning for Sea Spaces I: Processes, Practices, and Future Perspectives

    Walsh, C., Sielker, F., Smith, G. & Crawford, J., 04.03.2022, In: Planning Practice and Research. 37, 2, p. 131-135 5 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsOther (editorial matter etc.)Research

  10. Published

    An automated, modular system for organic waste utilization using heterotrophic alga Galdieria sulphuraria: Design considerations and sustainability

    Julius Pahmeyer, M., Anusha Siddiqui, S., Pleissner, D., Gołaszewski, J., Heinz, V. & Smetana, S., 01.03.2022, In: Bioresource Technology. 348, 7 p., 126800.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  11. Published

    Circular business models for the fastmoving consumer goods industry: Desirability, feasibility, and viability

    Bocken, N. M. P., Harsch, A. & Weissbrod, I., 01.03.2022, In: Sustainable Production and Consumption. 30, p. 799-814 16 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review