School of Sustainability
Organisational unit: Research School
- Centre for Sustainability Management (CSM)
- Institute of Ecology
- Institute of Ethics and Transdisciplinary Sustainability Research
- Institute of Sustainability Governance
- Institute of Sustainability Material Flows and Circularity
- Institute of Sustainability Psychology
- Institute of Sustainable Chemistry
- Social-Ecological Systems Institute (SESI)
- Sustainability Education and Transdisciplinary Research Institute
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.
- Published
Managing and accounting for corporate biodiversity contributions mapping the field
Schaltegger, S., Gibassier, D. & Maas, K., 07.2023, In: Business Strategy and the Environment. 32, 5, p. 2544-2553 10 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
- Published
Managing and Measuring the Business Case for Sustainability: Capturing the Relationship between Sustainability Performance, Business Competitiveness and Economic Performance
Schaltegger, S. & Wagner, M., 08.09.2017, Managing the Business Case for Sustainability: The Integration of Social, Environmental and Economic Performance. Schaltegger, S. & Wagner, M. (eds.). Sheffield: Greenleaf Publishing, p. 1-27 27 p.Research output: Contributions to collected editions/works › Contributions to collected editions/anthologies › Research
- Published
Managing Biodiversity Correctly: Efficient Portfolio Management as an Effective Way of Protecting Species
Figge, F., 2002, Köln: Gerling Versicherungs-Beteiligungs-AG, 34 p.Research output: Working paper › Working papers
- Published
Managing Eco-efficiency Development for Sustainability: An Investigation of Top Carbon Polluters in Australia
Qian, W., Kaur, A. & Schaltegger, S., 2018, Accounting for Sustainability : Asia Pacific Perspectives. Lee, K.-H. & Schaltegger, S. (eds.). Cham: Springer International Publishing, p. 103-124 22 p. (Eco-efficiency in industry and science; vol. 33).Research output: Contributions to collected editions/works › Contributions to collected editions/anthologies › Research › peer-review
- Published
Managing entrepreneurial and corporate contributions to sustainability transitions
Schaltegger, S., Loorbach, D. & Hörisch, J., 02.2023, In: Business Strategy and the Environment. 32, 2, p. 891-902 12 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Other (editorial matter etc.) › Research
- Published
Managing Green Business Model Transformations
Sommer, A., 2012, Heidelberg: Springer Verlag. 398 p. (Sustainable Production, Life Cycle Engineering and Management)Research output: Books and anthologies › Monographs › Research
- Published
Managing increasing environmental risks through agro-biodiversity and agri-environmental policies
Baumgärtner, S. & Quaas, M. F., 2008, Lüneburg: Institut für Volkswirtschaftslehre der Universität Lüneburg, 28 p. (Working paper series in economics; no. 80).Research output: Working paper › Working papers
- Published
Managing increasing environmental risks through agrobiodiversity and agrienvironmental policies
Quaas, M. F. & Baumgärtner, S., 01.09.2010, In: Agricultural Economics. 41, 5, p. 483-496 14 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
- Published
Managing invasive species amidst high uncertainty and novelty
Larson, B. M. H., Kueffer, C., the ZiF Working Group on Ecological Novelty & Klein, A.-M., 05.2013, In: Trends in Ecology and Evolution. 28, 5, p. 255-256 2 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Comments / Debate / Reports › Research
- Published
Managing Research Environments: Heterarchies in Academia. A Response to Cumming
Fischer, J., 01.12.2016, In: Trends in Ecology and Evolution. 31, 12, p. 900-902 3 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Other (editorial matter etc.) › Research