School of Sustainability
Organisational unit: Research School
- Centre for Sustainability Management (CSM)
- Institute of Ecology
- Institute of Ethics and Transdisciplinary Sustainability Research
- Institute of Sustainability Governance
- Institute of Sustainability Material Flows and Circularity
- Institute of Sustainability Psychology
- Institute of Sustainable Chemistry
- Social-Ecological Systems Institute (SESI)
- Sustainability Education and Transdisciplinary Research Institute
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.
- PublishedManagement Responses to Climate Change: An Analysis of Scholarly RecommendationsImbrogiano, J. P., Schaltegger, S. & Boiral, O., 10.2025, In: Sustainable Development. 33, 5, p. 6680-6692 13 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Scientific review articles › Research 
- PublishedExploring biocultural diversity: A systematic analysis and refined classification to inform decisions on conservation and sustainabilityOtamendi-Urroz, I., Quintas-Soriano, C., Hanspach, J., Requena-Mullor, J. M., Lagies, A. S. & Castro, A. J., 10.2025, In: Ambio. 54, 10, p. 1581-1597 17 p., e517.Research output: Journal contributions › Scientific review articles › Research 
- PublishedTall stature and small leaves: ecological strategies that enhance tree growth across the subtropical Brazilian Atlantic ForestBordin, K. M., Cianciaruso, M. V., Duarte, L. D. S., Bergamin, R. S., Klipel, J., Picolotto, R. C., Morales, D. D. C., Higuchi, P., Silva, A. C. D., Capellesso, E. S., Marques, M. C. M. & Müller, S. C., 08.2025, In: Oikos. 2025, 8, 11 p., e11235.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review 
- PublishedNutrition-induced changes in the microbiota can cause dysbiosis and disease developmentLachnit, T., Ulrich, L., Willmer, F. M., Hasenbein, T., Steiner, L. X., Wolters, M., Herbst, E. M. & Deines, P., 04.2025, In: mBio. 16, 4, 18 p., e03843-24.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review 
- PublishedIndividual Differences in Infants' Speech Segmentation Performance: The Role of Mother-Infant Cardiac SynchronyVanoncini, M., Kayhan, E., Elsner, B., Wunderwald, M., Wallot, S., Hoehl, S. & Boll-Avetisyan, N., 01.03.2025, In: Infancy. 30, 2, 13 p., e70020.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review 
- PublishedOn-farm compost and parsley residues extract use on organic fennel crop to improve agronomic performance and environmental sustainabilityDiacono, M., Fiore, A., Di Bene, C., Farina, R., Trinchera, A., Li, J., Geelen, D., Pleissner, D., Almendinger, M., Montemurro, F. & Persiani, A., 2025, In: Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems. 49, 5, p. 615-640 26 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review 
- PublishedIs ‘waste’ an appropriate concept in a sustainable bioeconomy?Halim, R., Iyer, A., Esteves, S. M., Milliken, S., Kalai, K., Pleissner, D., Stephan, L., Chentir, I., Ahmed, O., Nasri, W., Mohamed, S., Birkeland, N. K., Vanderschuren, H., Zainuddin, I. & Mburu, M., 03.2025, In: Sustainable Chemistry One World. 5, 7 p., 100044.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review 
- PublishedCharacterising landscape homogenisation: a qualitative approach based on five case studiesCortés-Capano, G., Shumi, G., Raatikainen, K. J., Mahdavi-Nezhad, Z. & Loos, J., 04.2025, In: Ecosystems and People. 21, 1, 13 p., 2485282.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review 
- Published43. Decoding Spontaneous Thoughts From Brain Resting-State fMRI: Toward Understanding RuminationDekker, R., Nakamura, A. T., Lins, A. M., Bammel, M., Huys, Q., Schuck, N. W. & Cai, M. B., 01.05.2025, In: Biological Psychiatry. 97, 9, Supplement, p. S112-S113 2 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Conference abstract in journal › Research 
- PublishedGermination changes can restructure communities through priority effectsTemperton, V. M., 05.2025, In: Trends in Ecology & Evolution. 40, 5, p. 426-427 2 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Comments / Debate / Reports › Research 
