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. 2016
  2. Published

    The Sustainability Balanced Scorecard: A Systematic Review of Architectures

    Hansen, E. G. & Schaltegger, S., 01.01.2016, In: Journal of Business Ethics. 133, 2, p. 193-221 29 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  3. Published

    The value of time in biological conservation and supplied ecosystem services: A willingness to give up time exercise

    García-Llorente, M., Castro, A. J., Quintas-Soriano, C., López, I., Castro, H., Montes, C. & Martín-López, B., 01.01.2016, In: Journal of Arid Environments. 124, p. 13-21 9 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  4. Published

    Using gender theories to analyse nature resource management

    Katz, C., 01.01.2016, Contemporary Perspectives on Ecofeminism. Phillips, M. & Rumens, N. (eds.). Oxford: Routledge Taylor & Francis Group, p. 193-209 17 p. (Routledge explorations in environmental studies).

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksChapterpeer-review

  5. Published

    archiDART: an R package for the automated computation of plant root architectural traits

    Delory, B. M., Baudson, C., Brostaux, Y., Lobet, G., du Jardin, P., Pagès, L. & Delaplace, P., 01.2016, In: Plant and Soil. 398, 1-2, p. 351-365 15 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  6. Published

    Sustainability: Politics and Governance

    Heinrichs, H. & Biermann, F., 01.2016, Sustainability Science: An introduction. Heinrichs, H., Martens, P., Michelsen, G. & Wiek, A. (eds.). Dordrecht: Springer Netherlands, p. 129-137 9 p.

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

  7. Published

    Sustainability Science: An Introduction

    Heinrichs, H. (Editor), Martens, W. J. M. (Editor), Michelsen, G. (Editor) & Wiek, A. (Editor), 01.2016, Dordrecht: Springer Netherlands. 367 p.

    Research output: Books and anthologiesCollected editions and anthologiesEducation

  8. Published

    Sustainable Development and Material Flows

    John, B., Möller, A. & Weiser, A., 01.2016, Sustainability Science: An Introduction. Heinrichs, H., Martens, P., Michelsen, G. & Wiek, A. (eds.). Dordrecht: Springer Netherlands, p. 219-230 12 p.

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

  9. Published

    20th EMAN Conference: Two Decades of Corporate Environmental and Sustainability Accounting – What has been achieved? Proceedings

    Schaltegger, S. (Editor), 2016, Lüneburg: Centre for Sustainability Management. 299 p.

    Research output: Books and anthologiesConference proceedingsResearch

  10. Published

    Advanced Treatment Technologies for Urban Waste Water Reuse

    Fatta-Kassinos, D. (Editor), Dionysiou, D. D. (Editor) & Kümmerer, K. (Editor), 2016, Cham: Springer Nature. 305 p. (The Handbook of Environmental Chemistry; vol. 45, no. 1)

    Research output: Books and anthologiesCollected editions and anthologiesResearch

  11. Published

    A Glue from Snail Slime?! Umsetzung und Evaluation eines bilingualen Moduls für den Biologieunterricht

    Rodenhauser, A. & Preisfeld, A., 2016, Bilingualen Unterricht weiterentwickeln und erforschen . Diehr, B., Preisfeld, A. & Schmelter, L. (eds.). Frankfurt am Main: Peter Lang Verlag, p. 221-243 23 p.

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