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

    Klimawandel, Nachhaltigkeit und Transformationsgestaltung

    Heinrichs, H., 01.01.2018, Hamburger Klimabericht: Wissen über Klima, Klimawandel und Auswirkungen in Hamburg und Norddeutschland. von Storch, H., Meinke, I. & Claußen, M. (eds.). Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer Spektrum, p. 293-302 10 p.

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

  2. Published

    Combination of experimental and in silico methods for the assessment of the phototransformation products of the antipsychotic drug/metabolite Mesoridazine

    Wilde, M. L., Menz, J., Leder, C. & Kümmerer, K., 15.03.2018, In: The Science of The Total Environment. 618, p. 697-711 15 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  3. Published

    Selecting methods for ecosystem service assessment: A decision tree approach

    Harrison, P. A., Dunford, R., Barton, D. N., Kelemen, E., Martín-López, B., Norton, L., Termansen, M., Saarikoski, H., Hendriks, K., Gómez-Baggethun, E., Czúcz, B., García-Llorente, M., Howard, D., Jacobs, S., Karlsen, M., Kopperoinen, L., Madsen, A., Rusch, G., van Eupen, M., Verweij, P., Smith, R., Tuomasjukka, D. & Zulian, G., 02.2018, In: Ecosystem Services. 29, C, p. 481-498 18 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  4. Published

    Facing the heat: A systematic literature review exploring the transferability of solutions to cope with urban heat waves

    Hintz, M. J., Lüderitz, C., Lang, D. J. & von Wehrden, H., 06.2018, In: Urban Climate. 24, p. 714-727 14 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  5. Published

    The self-sabotage of conservation: Reply to Manfredo et al.

    Ives, C. D. & Fischer, J., 06.12.2017, In: Conservation Biology. 31, 6, p. 1483 - 1485 3 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsComments / Debate / ReportsResearch

  6. Published

    Transnational collaboration for sustainability in higher education: Lessons from a systematic review

    Caniglia, G., Lüderitz, C., Groß, M., Muhr, M., John, B., Withycombe Keeler, L., von Wehrden, H., Laubichler, M., Wiek, A. & Lang, D., 01.12.2017, In: Journal of Cleaner Production. 168, p. 764-779 16 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsScientific review articlesResearch

  7. Published

    Stakeholders' perspectives on the operationalisation of the ecosystem service concept: Results from 27 case studies

    Dick, J., Turkelboom, F., Woods, H., Iniesta-Arandia, I., Primmer, E., Saarela, S. R., Bezák, P., Mederly, P., Leone, M., Verheyden, W., Kelemen, E., Hauck, J., Andrews, C., Antunes, P., Aszalós, R., Baró, F., Barton, D. N., Berry, P., Bugter, R., Carvalho, L., Czúcz, B., Dunford, R., Garcia Blanco, G., Geamănă, N., Giucă, R., Grizzetti, B., Izakovičová, Z., Kertész, M., Kopperoinen, L., Langemeyer, J., Montenegro Lapola, D., Liquete, C., Luque, S., Martínez Pastur, G., Martin-Lopez, B., Mukhopadhyay, R., Niemela, J., Odee, D., Peri, P. L., Pinho, P., Patrício-Roberto, G. B., Preda, E., Priess, J., Röckmann, C., Santos, R., Silaghi, D., Smith, R., Vădineanu, A., van der Wal, J. T., Arany, I., Badea, O., Bela, G., Boros, E., Bucur, M., Blumentrath, S., Calvache, M., Carmen, E., Clemente, P., Fernandes, J., Ferraz, D., Fongar, C., García-Llorente, M., Gómez-Baggethun, E., Gundersen, V., Haavardsholm, O., Kalóczkai, Á., Khalalwe, T., Kiss, G., Köhler, B., Lazányi, O., Lellei-Kovács, E., Lichungu, R., Lindhjem, H., Magare, C., Mustajoki, J., Ndege, C., Nowell, M., Nuss Girona, S., Ochieng, J., Often, A., Palomo, I., Pataki, G., Reinvang, R., Rusch, G., Saarikoski, H., Smith, A., Soy Massoni, E., Stange, E., Vågnes Traaholt, N., Vári, Á., Verweij, P., Vikström, S., Yli-Pelkonen, V. & Zulian, G., 16.02.2018, In: Ecosystem Services. 29, C, p. 552-565 14 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  8. Published

    Die Deutsche Nachhaltigkeitsstrategie: Wegweiser für eine Politik der Nachhaltigkeit

    Michelsen, G. (Editor), 14.09.2017, 2 ed. Wiesbaden: Hessische Landeszentrale für politische Bildung. 176 p. (forum hlz)

    Research output: Books and anthologiesCollected editions and anthologiesResearch

  9. Published

    The Role of Trust in Natural Resource Management Conflicts: A Forestry Case Study from Germany

    Juerges, N., Viedma, A., Leahy, J. & Newig, J., 06.2018, In: Forest Science. 64, 3, p. 330-339 10 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  10. Published

    GrassVeg.DE: die neue kollaborative Vegetationsdatenbank für alle Offenlandhabitate Deutschlands

    Dengler, J., Becker, T., Conradi, T., Dolnik, C., Heindl-Tenhunen, B., Jensen, K., Kaufmann, J., Klotz, M., Kurzboeck, C., Lampe, P., Langer, N., Marquardt, B., Putfarken, D., Rahmlow, M., Schuhmacherl, O. & Went, J., 2017, In: Tuexenia. 37, 1, p. 447-455 9 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review