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

    Was und wo sind POPs ?

    Lammel, G., Palm, W.-U. & Zetzsch, C., 2011, Chemie über den Wolken: ... und darunter: Das offizielle Buch der Gesellschaft Deutscher Chemiker zum Internationalen Jahr der Chemie 2011. Zellner, R. (ed.). 1 ed. Weinheim: Wiley-VCH Verlag, p. 211-220 10 p.

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

  2. Published

    Correlation of six anthropogenic markers in wastewater, surface water, bank filtrate, and soil aquifer treatment

    Scheurer, M., Storck, F. R., Graf, C., Brauch, H.-J., Ruck, W., Lev, O. & Lange, F. T., 04.2011, In: Journal of Environmental Monitoring. 13, 4, p. 966-973 8 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearch

  3. Published
  4. Published

    A new approach to data evaluation in the non-target screening of organic trace substances in water analysis

    Müller, A., Ruck, W., Weber, W. H. & Schulz, W., 11.2011, In: Chemosphere. 85, 8, p. 1211–1219 9 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  5. Published

    Vorkommen von heterocyclischen PAK in niedersächsischen Fließgewässern

    Siemers, A.-K., Mänz, J. S., Palm, W.-U., Steffen, D. & Ruck, W., 2011, In: Mitteilungen der Fachgruppe Umweltchemie und Ökotoxikologie. 17, 4, p. 82-85 4 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearch

  6. Published

    Air concentrations and particlegas partitioning of polyfluoroalkyl compounds at a wastewater treatment plant

    Vierke, L., Ahrens, L., Shoeib, M., Reiner, E. J., Guo, R., Palm, W.-U., Ebinghaus, R. & Harner, T., 01.01.2011, In: Environmental Chemistry. 8, 4, p. 363-371 9 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearch

  7. Published

    Projekt "Gender Greenstreaming": Geschlechtergerechtigkeit im Natur- und Umweltschutz

    Fischer, K. & Thiem, A., 2008, Dokumentation - 33. Kongress Frauen in Naturwissenschaft und Technik, 17. bis 20. Mai 2007 in Lüneburg.: Nachhaltig versorgen. Neuper, G. & Strasser, A. (eds.). Lüneburg: Verein TechNaM, p. 130-133 3 p.

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

  8. Published
  9. Published

    US agricultural sector analysis on pesticide externalities – the impact of climate change and a Pigovian tax

    Shakhramanyan, N. G., Schneider, U. A. & McCarl, B. A., 04.2013, In: Climatic Change. 117, 4, p. 711-723 13 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  10. Published

    Does gender matter in gaining advantage in scientific fields of sustainability in Germany? A bibliographical approach

    Katz, C. & Thiem, A., 2011, World Wide Women: Globalizzazione, Generi, Linguaggi ; Selected Papers. Calvo, A., Fornengo, G., Raus, R. & Zucco, F. (eds.). CIRSDe – Centro Interdisciplinare di Ricerche e Studi delle Donne, Vol. 1. p. 135-143 (World Wide Women: Globalizzazione, Generi, Linguaggi; vol. 1).

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksArticle in conference proceedingsResearch