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
  2. Published

    Sugars in Antarctic aerosol

    Barbaro, E., Kirchgeorg, T., Zangrando, R., Vecchiato, M., Piazza, R., Barbante, C. & Gambaro, A., 10.2015, In: Atmospheric Environment. 118, p. 135-144 10 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearch

  3. Published

    Crop rotation modelling: A European model intercomparison

    Kollas, C., Kersebaum, K. C., Nendel, C., Manevski, K., Müller, C., Palosuo, T., Armas-Herrera, C. M., Beaudoin, N., Bindi, M., Charfeddine, M., Conradt, T., Constantin, J., Eitzinger, J., Ewert, F., Ferrise, R., Gaiser, T., Cortazar-Atauri, I. G. D., Giglio, L., Hlavinka, P., Hoffmann, H., Hoffmann, M. P., Launay, M., Manderscheid, R., Mary, B., Mirschel, W., Moriondo, M., Olesen, J. E., Öztürk, I., Pacholski, A., Ripoche-Wachter, D., Roggero, P. P., Roncossek, S., Rötter, R. P., Ruget, F., Sharif, B., Trnka, M., Ventrella, D., Waha, K., Wegehenkel, M., Weigel, H. J. & Wu, L., 10.2015, In: European Journal of Agronomy. 70, p. 98 - 111 14 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  4. Published

    Allocation patterns of airborne nitrogen in mountainous heathlands – A 15N tracer study in the Cantabrian Mountains (NW Spain)

    Calvo-Fernández, J., Marcos, E., Calvo, L. & Härdtle, W., 11.2015, In: Ecological Engineering. 84, p. 128-135 8 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearch

  5. Published

    Organophosphorus flame retardants and plasticizers in the aquatic environment: A case study of the Elbe River, Germany

    Wolschke, H., Sühring, R., Xie, Z. & Ebinghaus, R., 11.2015, In: Environmental Pollution. 206, p. 488-493 6 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  6. Published

    Notions of justice held by stakeholders of the Newfoundland fishery

    Kahmann, B., Stumpf, K. H. & Baumgärtner, S., 01.12.2015, In: Marine Policy. 62, p. 37-50 14 p., 2174.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  7. Published

    Direct negative density-dependence in a pond-breeding frog population

    Băncilă, R. I., Ozgul, A., Hartel, T., Sos, T. & Schmidt, B. R., 05.2016, In: Ecography. 39, 5, p. 449-455 7 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  8. Published

    Comment on “fluorotechnology is critical to modern life: The FluoroCouncil counterpoint to the madrid statement”

    Cousins, I. T., Balan, S. A., Scheringer, M., Weber, R., Wang, Z., Blum, A., Diamond, M., Fletcher, T., Goldenman, G., Higgins, C., Lindeman, A. E., Peaslee, G., Trier, X. & De Voogt, P., 01.07.2015, In: Environmental Health Perspectives. 123, 7, p. A170 - A171 2 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  9. Published

    Pennycress double-cropping does not negatively impact spider diversity

    Groeneveld, J. H., Lührs, H. P. & Klein, A. M., 08.2015, In: Agricultural and Forest Entomology. 17, 3, p. 247-257 11 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  10. Published

    Atmospheric gas-particle partitioning versus gaseous/particle-bound deposition of SVOCs: Why they are not equivalent

    Glüge, J., Bogdal, C., Scheringer, M. & Hungerbühler, K., 08.2015, In: Atmospheric Environment. 115, p. 317-324 8 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review