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. 2025
  2. E-pub ahead of print

    Enhancing the transformative potential of sustainability innovations: An application of the values-rules-knowledge framework

    Dabard, C. H., Mann, C. & Martín-López, B., 13.03.2025, (E-pub ahead of print) In: Ambio. 17 p., 102273.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  3. Accepted/In press

    Biodiversity on old permanent versus restored grassland is driven by small-scale land-use intensity and habitat connectivity

    Ernst, L. M., Thiele, J., Dieker, P., Temperton, V. M. & Dauber, J., 18.03.2025, (Accepted/In press) In: Restoration Ecology. 15 p., e70029.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  4. E-pub ahead of print

    How, when and why do negotiators use reference points? A qualitative interview study with negotiation practitioners

    Mann, M., Trötschel, R., Warsitzka, M. & Hüffmeier, J., 20.03.2025, (E-pub ahead of print) In: International Journal of Conflict Management. 33 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  5. E-pub ahead of print

    Sustainability Strategies: What's in a Name? A Conceptual Restatement of Fundamental Mechanisms Toward Sustainability

    Hartmann, E., 27.03.2025, (E-pub ahead of print) In: Sustainable Development. 15 p., sd.3443.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  6. Published

    Creating curricula for competence: Findings from a comparison of three sustainability graduate programs

    Birdman, J. & Lang, D. J., 29.03.2025, North American and European Perspectives on Sustainability in Higher Education.. Filho, W. L., Newman, J., Salvia, A. L., Trevisan, L. V. & Corazza, L. (eds.). Cham: Springer Nature Switzerland AG, p. 1173-1188 16 p. (World Sustainability Series; vol. Part F280).

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksChapterpeer-review

  7. E-pub ahead of print

    Advancing green chemistry performance assessment: the Estée Lauder Companies’ continuing journey towards meaningful transparency

    Thompson, E. C., Anastas, P., Bialk, H., D'Alessandro, D., Hoven, V. P., Kedwards, T. J., Liu, Z., Mudring, A. V., Saito, K., Zuin Zeidler, V. & Daher, G., 31.03.2025, (E-pub ahead of print) In: Green Chemistry . 12 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  8. Published
  9. Published

    Characterising landscape homogenisation: a qualitative approach based on five case studies

    Cortés-Capano, G., Shumi, G., Raatikainen, K. J., Mahdavi-Nezhad, Z. & Loos, J., 04.2025, In: Ecosystems and People. 21, 1, 13 p., 2485282.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  10. Published

    Exploring Management Control Systems for Biodiversity: Insights from Three Food Companies

    Hübel, C. & Wenzig, J., 04.2025, In: Social and Environmental Accountability Journal. 45, 1, p. 42-72 31 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  11. Published

    Horizontal portability: A proposal for representing place-based relational values in research and policy

    Himes, A., Muraca, B., Allen, K., Chapman, M., Coelho-Junior, M. G., Cundill, G., Gould, R. K., Herrmann, T. M., Kenter, J. O., Nakachi, A. A., Nemogá, G. R., Ortiz-Przychodzka, S., Pearson, J., Rono, B., Saito, T., Tadaki, M. & Bonn, A., 04.2025, In: People and Nature. 7, 4, p. 752-764 13 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsScientific review articlesResearch