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

    ‚Ich sehe was, was Du nicht siehst‘: Potenziale einer feministisch-postkolonialen Perspektive für den genderorientierten Nachhaltigkeitsdiskurs

    Koch, L. M. & Roth, S., 2015, Nachhaltigkeit anders denken: Veränderungspotenziale durch Geschlechterperspektiven. Katz, C., Heilmann, S., Thiem, A., Moths, K., Koch, L. & Hofmeister, S. (eds.). Wiesbaden: Springer VS, p. 43-60 18 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksContributions to collected editions/anthologiesResearch

  2. Published

    Assessing Online Consultation in Participatory Governance: Conceptual Framework and a Case Study of a National Sustainability-related Consultation Platform in Germany

    Schulz, D. & Newig, J., 01.01.2015, In: Environmental Policy and Governance. 25, 1, p. 55-69 15 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  3. Published

    Ramsey Discounting of Ecosystem Services

    Baumgärtner, S., Klein, A.-M., Thiel, D. & Winkler, K., 27.06.2015, In: Environmental and Resource Economics. 61, 2, p. 273-296 24 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  4. Published

    Nachhaltigkeit, Geschlecht und Organisation – Potenziale genderreflektierter Nachhaltigkeitskompetenz für die Veränderung asymmetrischer Organisationsstrukturen im Bereich nachhaltigkeitsorientierter wissenschaftlicher Tätigkeiten

    Moths, K., 2015, Nachhaltigkeit anders denken: Veränderungspotenziale durch Geschlechterperspektiven. Katz, C., Heilmann, S., Thiem, A., Koch, L., Moths, K. & Hofmeister, S. (eds.). Wiesbaden: Springer VS, p. 255-271 17 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksContributions to collected editions/anthologiesResearch

  5. Published

    Geschlechtergerechtigkeit und Sprachpraxis in universitären Lehr-Lern-Kontexten: Ergebnisse eines Lehrforschungsprojektes

    Gburzynski, A., Stolzke, L., Strauß, A., Fischer, D. & Weitzel, J., 30.03.2015, In: Zeitschrift für Hochschulentwicklung. 10, 1, p. 199-224 26 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  6. Published

    Cities are hotspots for threatened species

    Ives, C. D., Lentini, P. E., Threlfall, C. G., Ikin, K., Shanahan, D. F., Garrard, G. E., Bekessy, S. A., Fuller, R. A., Mumaw, L., Rayner, L., Rowe, R., Valentine, L. E. & Kendal, D., 01.01.2016, In: Global Ecology and Biogeography. 25, 1, p. 117-126 10 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  7. Published

    Constructed Wetlands Integrated with Advanced Oxidation Processes in Wastewater Treatment for Reuse

    Machado, E. L., Lourenço, A. M., Kist, L. T., Schneider, R. C. S., Kern, D., Lobo, E. A. A., Lutterbeck, C. A., Silveira, D. D., Horn, T. B. & Zerwes, F. V., 2016, Advanced Treatment Technologies for Urban Wastewater Reuse. Fatta-Kassinos, D., Dionysiou, D. D. & Kümmerer, K. (eds.). Cham: Springer Verlag, p. 197-222 26 p. (Handbook of Environmental Chemistry; vol. 45).

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksChapterpeer-review

  8. Published

    Bioassays currently available for evaluating the biological potency of pharmaceuticals in treated wastewater

    Vasquez, M. I., Michael, I., Kümmerer, K. & Fatta-Kassinos, D., 2016, Wastewater Reuse and Current Challenges. Fatta-Kassinos, D., Dionysiou, D. D. & Kümmerer, K. (eds.). Cham: Springer Verlag, p. 49-80 32 p. (Handbook of Environmental Chemistry; vol. 44).

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

  9. Published

    Thinking about climate change: Young people from Ladakh responding to global warming: An explorative study

    Getzin, S., 13.01.2016, Exploring Alterity in a Globalized World. Wulf, C. (ed.). Taylor and Francis Inc., p. 454-467 14 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksChapterpeer-review

  10. Published

    Novel flame retardants: Estimating the physical-chemical properties and environmental fate of 94 halogenated and organophosphate PBDE replacements

    Zhang, X., Sühring, R., Serodio, D., Bonnell, M., Sundin, N. & Diamond, M. L., 01.02.2016, In: Chemosphere. 144, p. 2401-2407 7 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review