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

    A novel telecoupling framework to assess social relations across spatial scales for ecosystem services research

    Martín-López, B., Felipe-Lucia, M. R., Bennett, E. M., Norström, A., Peterson, G., Plieninger, T., Hicks, C. C., Turkelboom, F., García-Llorente, M., Jacobs, S., Lavorel, S. & Locatelli, B., 01.07.2019, In: Journal of Environmental Management. 241, p. 251-263 13 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  3. Published

    Assessment of upstream bioprocessing

    Pleißner, D., 01.07.2019, In: 3 Biotech. 9, 7, 7 p., 260.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  4. Published

    Diffusion of environmental management accounting for cleaner production: Evidence from some case studies

    Burritt, R. L., Herzig, C., Schaltegger, S. & Viere, T., 01.07.2019, In: Journal of Cleaner Production. 224, p. 479-491 13 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  5. Published

    Identifying past social-ecological thresholds to understand long-term temporal dynamics in Spain

    Santos-Martín, F., García-Mon, B. G., González, J. A., Iniesta-Arandia, I., García-Llorente, M., Montes, C., Ravera, F., López-Santiago, C. A., Carpintero, Ó., Benayas, J. & Martín-López, B., 01.07.2019, In: Ecology and Society. 24, 2, 23 p., 10.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  6. Published

    Step back from the forest and step up to the Bonn Challenge: How a broad ecological perspective can promote successful landscape restoration

    Temperton, V. M., Buchmann, N., Buisson, E., Durigan, G., Kazmierczak, L., Perring, M. P., de Sá Dechoum, M., Veldman, J. W. & Overbeck, G. E., 01.07.2019, In: Restoration Ecology. 27, 4, p. 705-719 15 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  7. Published

    Sustainable business models and sustainable supply chain management: Establishing linkages

    Norris, S., Zufall, J., Schaltegger, S. & Weissbrod, I., 01.07.2019, Proceedings of the 4th International Conference on New Business Models: New Business Models for Sustainable Entrepreneurship, Innovation, and Transformation. Lüdeke-Freund, F. & Froese, T. (eds.). Berlin: ESCP Europe, p. 872-873 2 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksPublished abstract in conference proceedingsResearchpeer-review

  8. Published

    The post-normal politics and science of wind power planning: Evidence from a Danish near-shore wind farm tender

    Johansen, K. & Upham, P., 01.07.2019, In: Energy Research and Social Science. 53, p. 182-193 12 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  9. Published

    Is implicit Theory of Mind real but hard to detect? Testing adults with different stimulus materials

    Kulke, L., Wübker, M. & Rakoczy, H., 10.07.2019, In: Royal Society Open Science. 6, 7, 14 p., 190068.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  10. Published

    Stakeholder signalling and strategic niche management: The case of aviation biokerosene

    Koistinen, K., Upham, P. & Bögel, P. M., 10.07.2019, In: Journal of Cleaner Production. 225, p. 72-81 10 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  11. Published

    Stories of favourite Places in public spaces: Emotional responses to landscape change

    Riechers, M., Henkel, W., Engbers, M. & Fischer, J., 15.07.2019, In: Sustainability. 11, 14, 11 p., 3851.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesTransferpeer-review