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. 2024
  2. Published

    Widening global variability in grassland biomass since the 1980s

    MacDougall, A. S., Esch, E., Chen, Q., Carroll, O., Bonner, C., Ohlert, T., Siewert, M., Sulik, J., Schweiger, A., Borer, E. T., Naidu, D., Bagchi, S., Hautier, Y., Wilfahrt, P., Larson, K., Olofsson, J., Cleland, E., Muthukrishnan, R., O’Halloran, L., Alberti, J., Anderson, T. M., Arnillas, C. A., Bakker, J. D., Barrio, I. C., Biederman, L., Boughton, E. H., Brudvig, L. A., Bruschetti, M., Buckley, Y., Bugalho, M. N., Cadotte, M. W., Caldeira, M. C., Catford, J. A., D’Antonio, C., Davies, K., Daleo, P., Dickman, C. R., Donohue, I., DuPre, M. E., Elgersma, K., Eisenhauer, N., Eskelinen, A., Estrada, C., Fay, P. A., Feng, Y., Gruner, D. S., Hagenah, N., Haider, S., Harpole, W. S. & Hersch-Green, E., 10.2024, In: Nature Ecology and Evolution. 8, 10, p. 1877-1888 12 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  3. Published

    Simplify the Uptake of Community Energy by Leveraging Intermediaries and the Use of Digital Planning Tools

    Mey, F., Borch, K., Bosch, S., Ebersbach, B., Hecht, R., Holstenkamp, L. & Radtke, J., 28.09.2024, Strengthening European Energy Policy: Governance Recommendations From Innovative Interdisciplinary Collaborations. Crowther, A., Foulds, C., Robison, R. & Gladkykh, G. (eds.). Cham: Springer Nature Switzerland AG, p. 17-29 13 p.

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

  4. Published

    The safe-and-sustainable-by-design concept: innovating towards a more sustainable future

    Soeteman-Hernández, L. G., Apel, C., Nowack, B., Sudheshwar, A., Som, C., Huttunen-Saarivirta, E., Tenhunen-Lunkka, A., Scheper, J., Falk, A., Valsami-Jones, E., Rocca, C., Brennan, M., Igartua, A., Mendoza, G., Midander, K., Strömberg, E. & Kümmerer, K., 24.09.2024, In: Environmental Sustainability. 7, 3, p. 363-368 6 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  5. Published

    Citizen Science-Based Monitoring of Cavity-Nesting Wild Bees and Wasps – Benefits for Volunteers, Insects, and Ecological Science

    Lindermann, L., Grabener, S., Hellwig, N., Stahl, J. & Dieker, P., 04.09.2024, In: Citizen Science: Theory and Practice. 9, 1, 12 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  6. Published
  7. Published

    Biological measures to recover nitrogen compounds from liquid and solid streams

    Thielemann, A. K., Händel, N., Siddiqui, S. A., Aganovic, K., Kießling, M., Terjung, N., Smetana, S. & Pleißner, D., 01.09.2024, In: Sustainable Chemistry for the Environment. 7, 6 p., 100136.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  8. Published

    Ein Recht auf Zeit: Zeit als Ressource

    Bertram, A., 01.09.2024, In: Juridikum : Zeitschrift für Kritik - Recht - Gesellschaft. 2024, 3, p. 364-373

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearch

  9. Published

    From rebound to reinforcement effects. The role of analyzing underlying mechanisms for accounting

    Schaltegger, S., Amend, C. & Wüst, S., 01.09.2024, In: Journal of Sustainable Finance and Accounting. 3, 10 p., 100014.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  10. Published

    Institutional arrangements and sustainable maintenance management of community-based mini-grids in Tanzania

    Ngoti, I. F., 01.09.2024, In: Energy Research and Social Science. 115, 10 p., 103632.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  11. Published

    One Fits Them All? Metaphors in Multilingual Biology Classes

    Sowinski, R. & Abels, S., 01.09.2024, Connecting Science Education with Cultural Heritage: Proceedings of the ESERA 2023 Conference. Kaya, G., Sardag, M. & Gul, K. (eds.). Oxford: European Science Education Research Association, Vol. 3. p. 246-256 11 p.

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