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. 2019
  2. Published

    Substrate preference determines macrofungal biogeography in the greater Mekong Sub-Region

    Ye, L., Li, H., Mortimer, P. E., Xu, J., Gui, H., Karunarathna, S. C., Kumar, A., Hyde, K. D. & Shi, L., 01.10.2019, In: Forests. 10, 10, 14 p., 824.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  3. Published

    Techno-economic assessment of non-sterile batch and continuous production of lactic acid from food waste

    Peinemann, J., Demichelis, F., Fiore, S. & Pleissner, D., 01.10.2019, In: Bioresource Technology. 289, 121631.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  4. Published

    The German Version of the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10): Evaluation of Dimensionality, Validity, and Measurement Invariance With Exploratory and Confirmatory Bifactor Modeling

    Reis, D., Lehr, D., Heber, E. & Ebert, D. D., 01.10.2019, In: Assessment (ASM). 26, 7, p. 1246-1259 14 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  5. Published

    The role of business models for sustainable consumption: A pattern approach

    Lüdeke-Freund, F., Froese, T. & Schaltegger, S., 01.10.2019, A Research Agenda for Sustainable Consumption Governance. Mont, O. (ed.). Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Publishing, p. 86-104 19 p. (Elgar research agendas).

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksChapterpeer-review

  6. Published

    Tree-species interactions increase light absorption and growth in Chinese subtropical mixed-species plantations

    Forrester, D. I., Rodenfels, P., Haase, J., Härdtle, W., Leppert, K. N., Niklaus, P. A., Oheimb, G., Scherer-Lorenzen, M. & Bauhus, J., 01.10.2019, In: Oecologia. 191, 2, p. 421-432 12 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  7. Published

    Unlocking knowledge-policy action gaps in disaster-recovery-risk governance cycle: A governmentality approach

    Ghosh, A. & Boyd, E., 01.10.2019, In: International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction. 39, 101236.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  8. Published

    Differences in isoprenoid-mediated energy dissipation pathways between coastal and interior Douglas-fir seedlings in response to drought

    Junker-Frohn, L. V., Kleiber, A., Jansen, K., Gessler, A., Kreuzwieser, J. & Ensminger, I., 10.2019, In: Tree Physiology. 39, 10, p. 1750-1766 17 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  9. Published

    Guidance for assessing interregional ecosystem service flows

    Koellner, T., Bonn, A., Arnhold, S., Bagstad, K. J., Fridman, D., Guerra, C. A., Kastner, T., Kissinger, M., Kleemann, J., Kuhlicke, C., Liu, J., López-Hoffman, L., Marques, A., Martín-López, B., Schulp, C. J. E., Wolff, S. & Schröter, M., 10.2019, In: Ecological Indicators. 105, p. 92-106 15 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  10. Published

    Vermeidung von Biozideinträgen aus Gebäudeauswaschungen in urbane Oberflächengewässer und Grundwasser

    Olsson, O., Lange, J. & Kümmerer, K., 10.2019, In: KA - Korrespondenz Abwasser, Abfall. 66, 10, p. 812-819 9 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesTransferpeer-review

  11. Published

    Artful and sensory sustainability science: Exploring novel methodological perspectives

    Heinrichs, H. & Kagan, S., 30.09.2019, In: Journal of Environmental Management and Sustainability. 8, 3, p. 431-442 12 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  12. Published

    Seeing polycentrically: Examining governance situations using a polycentricity lens

    Blomquist, W. A. & Schröder, N. J. S., 30.09.2019, Governing Complexity: Analyzing and Applying Polycentricity. Thiel, A., Blomquist, W. A. & Garrick, D. E. (eds.). Cambridge University Press, p. 45-64 20 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksChapterpeer-review

  13. Published

    Learning from Indigenous Populations and Local Communities

    Molnár, Z., Doormann, L., Reyes-García, V., Martín-López, B., Berkes, F. & Bodin, Ö., 20.09.2019, In: One Earth. 1, 1, p. 16-17 2 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsComments / Debate / ReportsResearch

  14. Published

    Linking socio-technical transition studies and organisational change management: Steps towards an integrative, multi-scale heuristic

    Bögel, P., Pereverza, K., Upham, P. & Kordas, O., 20.09.2019, In: Journal of Cleaner Production. 232, p. 359-368 10 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  15. Published

    Guest editorial: Sustainability Accounting, Management and Policy Journal, Vol. 10 No. 4

    Crutzen, N. (Editor), Van Bockhaven, J. (Editor), Schaltegger, S. (Editor) & Giffinger, R. (Editor), 18.09.2019, In: Sustainability Accounting, Management and Policy Journal. 10, 4, p. 646-653 8 p.

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

  16. Published

    ‚Natur’ im Konzept Vorsorgenden Wirtschaftens: Feministisch ökologische Perspektiven auf gesellschaftliche Natur- und Geschlechterverhältnisse

    Hofmeister, S., Kanning, H. & Mölders, T., 18.09.2019, Ökonomie des Versorgens: Feministisch-kritische Wirtschaftstheorien im deutschsprachigen Raum. Knobloch, U. (ed.). 1 ed. Weinheim: Beltz Juventa Verlag, p. 222-249 28 p. (Arbeitsgesellschaft im Wandel).

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

  17. Published

    Foundational Aspects of Polycentric Governance: Overarching Rules, Social-Problem Characteristics, and Heterogeneity

    Thiel, A. & Moser, C., 13.09.2019, Governing Complexity: Analyzing and Applying Polycentricity. Thiel, A., Blomquist, W. A. & Garrick, D. E. (eds.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, p. 65-90 26 p. 3. (Cambridge studies in economics, choice, and society).

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksChapterpeer-review

  18. Published

    Einträge von Bioziden und Transformationsprodukten aus Fassadenauswaschungen in urbane Oberflächengewässer und Grundwasser

    Olsson, O., 10.09.2019, Emissionsminderung von Punktquellen im ländlichen Raum: 12. Rostocker Abwassertagung. Tränckner, J. (ed.). Rostock: Universität Rostock, Vol. 88. p. 152-158 7 p. (Schriftenreihe Umweltingenieurwesen ; vol. 88).

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

  19. Published

    Loving the mess: navigating diversity and conflict in social values for sustainability

    Kenter, J. O., Raymond, C. M., van Riper, C. J., Azzopardi, E., Brear, M. R., Calcagni, F., Christie, I., Christie, M., Fordham, A., Gould, R. K., Ives, C. D., Hejnowicz, A. P., Gunton, R., Horcea-Milcu, A. I., Kendal, D., Kronenberg, J., Massenberg, J. R., O’Connor, S., Ravenscroft, N., Rawluk, A., Raymond, I. J., Rodríguez-Morales, J. & Thankappan, S., 02.09.2019, In: Sustainability Science. 14, 5, p. 1439-1461 23 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  20. Published
  21. Published

    Understanding the diversity of values of “Nature’s contributions to people”: insights from the IPBES Assessment of Europe and Central Asia

    Christie, M., Martín-López, B., Church, A., Siwicka, E., Szymonczyk, P. & Mena Sauterel, J., 02.09.2019, In: Sustainability Science. 14, 5, p. 1267–1282 16 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsScientific review articlesResearch