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

    Science Communication as a Collective Intelligence Endeavor: A Manifesto and Examples for Implementation

    Holford, D., Fasce, A., Wulf, M., Kause, A., Tapper, K., Demko, M., Lewandowski, S., Hahn, U., Abels, C. M., Ahmed, A.-R., Sameer, A., Boender, S. T., Bruns, H., Fischer, H., Gilde, C., Hanel, P. H. P., Herzog, S. M., Lehmann, S., Nurse, M. S., Orr, C., Pescetelli, N., Petrescu, M., Sa, S., Schmid, P., Sirota, M. & Wulf, M., 08.2023, In: Science Communication. 45, 4, p. 539-554 16 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsComments / Debate / ReportsResearch

  2. Published

    Science on ecosystems and people to support the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework

    Schröter, M., Berbés-Blázquez, M., Albert, C., Hill, R., Krause, T., Loos, J., Mannetti, L. M., Martín-López, B., Neelakantan, A., Parrotta, J. A., Quintas-Soriano, C., Abson, D. J., Alkemade, R., Amelung, B., Baptiste, B., Barrios, E., Djoudi, H., Drakou, E. G., Durance, I., García Llorente, M., Geneletti, D., Harmáčková, Z. V., Jacobs, S., Kaiser, N. N., Kingsley, J., Klain, S., Martínez-Harms, M. J., Murali, R., O’Farrell, P., Pandit, R., Pereira, L., Rana, S., Riechers, M., Rusch, G. M., Sala, J. E., Schulp, C. J. E., Sitas, N., Subramanian, S. M., Villasante, S. & van Oudenhoven, A., 2023, In: Ecosystems and People. 19, 1, 10 p., 2220913.

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

  3. Published

    Science, policy and implementation gaps: An exploration of groundwater management in Hungary

    Leventon, J., 2009, In: Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta. 73, 13, Supplement, p. A747

    Research output: Journal contributionsConference abstract in journalResearchpeer-review

  4. Published

    Science Teacher Professional Development for Inclusive Practice

    Abels, S., 2019, In: International Journal of Physics and Chemistry Education . 11, 1, p. 19-29 11 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  5. Published

    Scientific consensus on sustainability: The case of the natural step

    Upham, P., 2000, In: Sustainable Development. 8, 4, p. 180-190 11 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  6. Published

    Scientific priorities and shepherds' perceptions of ungulate's contributions to people in rewilding landscapes

    Pascual-Rico, R., Martín-López, B., Sánchez-Zapata, J. A. & Morales-Reyes, Z., 25.02.2020, In: Science of the Total Environment. 705, 11 p., 135876.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  7. Published

    Scientists’ Responsibility for Global Futures

    Caniglia, G., Zenk, L., Schernhammer, E., Bertau, M., Steiner, G., Kainz, M., Jaeger, C., Schlosser, P. & Laubichler, M. D., 22.01.2021, American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).

    Research output: other publicationsArticles in scientific forums or blogsResearchpeer-review

  8. Published

    Scope of the Book Advanced Treatment Technologies for Urban Wastewater Reuse

    Kümmerer, K., Dionysiou, D. D. & Fatta-Kassinos, D., 2016, Advanced Treatment Technologies for Urban Wastewater Reuse. Fatta-Kassinos, D., Dionysiou, D. D. & Kümmerer, K. (eds.). Cham: Springer Verlag, p. 1-4 4 p. (Handbook of Environmental Chemistry; vol. 45).

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

  9. Published

    Scope of the book wastewater reuse and current challenges

    Kümmerer, K., Dionysiou, D. D. & Fatta-Kassinos, D., 2016, In: Handbook of Environmental Chemistry. 44, p. 1-5 5 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsScientific review articlesResearch

  10. Published

    Scoping Review of Existing Evaluations of Smokeless Tobacco Control Policies: What Is Known About Countries Covered, Level of Jurisdictions, Target Groups Studied, and Instruments Evaluated?

    Forberger, S., Khan, Z., Ahmad, F., Frense, J., Kampfmann, T., Ahmad, F., Ullah, S., Dogar, O., Siddiqi, K. & Zeeb, H., 01.09.2022, In: Nicotine and Tobacco Research. 24, 9, p. 1344-1354 11 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsScientific review articlesResearch