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. Published

    Realität als Relation: Der Schematismus des Raumes und das Problem der Realität bei Plessner

    Schmieg, G., 2017, Schemata. Asmuth, C. & Gasperoni, L. (eds.). Würzburg: Königshausen & Neumann, p. 177-190 14 p. ( Kultur - System - Geschichte; vol. 11).

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksContributions to collected editions/anthologiesResearchpeer-review

  2. Published

    Reallabore als Lernräume: Nachhaltige Stadt- und Kommunalentwicklung

    Bürgener, L., Drautz, S. & Lang, D. J., 15.10.2022, In: Politische Ökologie. 40, 170, p. 72-77 6 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearch

  3. Published

    Reallabore im Kontext Transformativer Forschung: Ansatzpunkte zur Konzeption und Einbettung in den internationalen Forschungsstand

    Schäpke, N., Stelzer, F., Bergmann, M., Singer-Brodowski, M., Wanner, M., Caniglia, G. & Lang, D. J., 25.02.2017, Lüneburg: Leuphana Universität Lüneburg, 62 p. (IETSR Discussion papers in Transdisciplinary Sustainability Research ; no. 1/2017).

    Research output: Working paperWorking papers

  4. Published

    Reallabor versus Realexperiment: Was macht den Unterschied?

    Parodi, O., Ober, S., Lang, D. J. & Albiez, M., 26.08.2024, In: GAIA - Ecological Perspectives for Science and Society. 33, 2, p. 216-221 6 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsComments / Debate / ReportsResearch

  5. Published

    Real-world Laboratories and Transformation Research: Call for Papers: GAIA Open Access Special Issue

    Schäpke, N., Stelzer, F., Bergmann, M., Lang, D. J., Wagner, F. & Miller, E., 15.01.2017, In: GAIA. 26, 1, p. 55-57 3 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearch

  6. Published

    Rebound effects: Management and Prevention. Guideline for Companies

    Wolff, F., Gensch, C.-O., Kampffmeyer, N., Schöpflin, P., Lautermann, C., Gebauer, J., Schaltegger, S., Norris, S., Wüst, S., Thiel, D. & Buda, F., 2023, Öko-Institut.

    Research output: Working paperProject reportsResearch

  7. Published

    Rebound Effects in Methods of Artificial Intelligence

    Willenbacher, M., Hornauer, T. & Wohlgemuth, V., 2021, Advances and New Trends in Environmental Informatics: A Bogeyman or Saviour for the UN Sustainability Goals?. Wohlgemuth, V., Naumann, S., Behrens, G. & Arndt, H.-K. (eds.). Cham: Springer Schweiz, p. 73-85 13 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksChapter

  8. Published

    Rebound-Effekte: Management und Vermeidung. Leitfaden für Unternehmen

    Wolff, F., Gensch, C.-O., Kampffmeyer, N., Schöpflin, P., Lautermann, C., Gebauer, J., Schaltegger, S., Norris, S., Wüst, S., Thiel, D. & Buda, F., 2023, Öko-Institut.

    Research output: Working paperProject reportsResearch

  9. Published

    Recalcitrant pharmaceuticals in the aquatic environment: A comparative screening study of their occurrence, formation of phototransformation products and their in vitro toxicity

    Bergheim, M., Gminski, R., Spangenberg, B., Dȩbiak, M., Bürkle, A., Mersch-Sundermann, V., Kümmerer, K. & Gieré, R., 2014, In: Environmental Chemistry. 11, 4, p. 431-444 14 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  10. Published

    Recent developments in microalgal conversion of organic-enriched waste streams

    Solovchenko, A., Lukyanov, A., Aswathanarayana, R. G., Pleissner, D. & Ambati, R. R., 08.2020, In: Current Opinion in Green and Sustainable Chemistry. 24, p. 61-66 6 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsScientific review articlesResearch