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. 2013
  2. Published

    Stimulating sustainability implementation into higher education institutions in Central and Eastern Europe

    Adomßent, M. & Otte, I., 2013, Higher Education for Sustainable Development in Central and Eastern Europe. Adomßent, M. & Otte, I. (eds.). Bad Homburg: VAS Verlag für Akademische Schriften, p. 7-12 6 p. (Higher Education for Sustainability; vol. 8).

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

  3. Published

    Subsistenzansatz: Veronika Bennholdt-Thomsen, Maria Mies, Claudia von Werlhof und Vandana Shiva

    Hofmeister, S., 2013, Geschlechterverhältnisse und Nachhaltigkeit: Die Kategorie Geschlecht in den Nachhaltigkeitswissenschaften. Hofmeister, S., Katz, C. & Mölders, T. (eds.). Opladen: Verlag Babara Budrich, p. 123-129 6 p.

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

  4. Published

    Supporting sustainability transitions by enhancing the human dimension via empowerment, social learning and social capital

    Schäpke, N., Omann, I., Mock, M., Wittmayer, J. M. & von Raggamby, A., 2013, Pathways, Transitions and Backcasting for Low-Carbon and Sustainable Lifestyles : SCORAI Europe Workshop Proceedings, SCORAI Europe & InContext Workshop, 7-8 October 2013, Rotterdam, The Netherlands . Quist, J., Wittmayer, J., Umpfenbach, K. & Bauler, T. (eds.). Sustainable Consumption Research and Action Initiative Europe, p. 277-293 17 p. (Sustainable Consumption Transitions Series; vol. 3).

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

  5. Published

    Sustainability Accounting

    Zvezdov, D. & Schaltegger, S., 2013, Encyclopedia of Corporate Social Responsibility. Idowu, S. O., Capaldi, N., Zu, L. & Das Gupta, A. (eds.). Heidelberg, New York: Springer Verlag, p. 2363-2370 8 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksArticles for encyclopediaResearch

  6. Published

    Sustainability Management

    Schaltegger, S., 2013, Encyclopedia of Corporate Social Responsibility. Idowu, S. O., Capaldi, N., Zu, L. & Das Gupta, A. (eds.). Heidelberg, New York: Springer Verlag, p. 2384-2388 5 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksArticles for encyclopediaResearch

  7. Published

    Sustainability-Oriented Innovation

    Hansen, E. G. & Grosse-Dunker, F., 2013, Encyclopedia of Corporate Social Responsibility. Idowu, S. O., Capaldi, N., Zu, L. & Das Gupta, A. (eds.). Heidelberg, New York: Springer Verlag, Vol. Volume 1. p. 2407–2417 11 p.

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

  8. Published

    Sustainable Entrepreneurship

    Schaltegger, S., 2013, Encyclopedia of Corporate Social Responsibility. Idowu, S. O., Capaldi, N., Zu, L. & Das Gupta, A. (eds.). Heidelberg: Springer Verlag, p. 2458-2462 5 p.

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

  9. Published

    Taking stock–Three years of addressing societal challenges on community level through action research: Pilot specific synthesis report

    Wittmayer, J. M., Mock, M., van Steenbergen, F., Baasch, S., Omann, I. & Schäpke, N., 2013, Berlin, 51 p.

    Research output: Working paperProject reportsResearch

  10. Published

    Teamarbeit: Honigbienen können nur gemeinsam mit wildlebenden Insekten die Bestäubung von Kulturpflanzen sichern

    Klein, A.-M., 2013, In: Deutsches Bienen-Journal. 21, 5, p. 12-13 2 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  11. Published

    Technische, betriebswirtschaftliche und rechtlichte Analyse des Einsatzes regionaler virtueller Kraftwerke in der Region Nord: Anwendungsbeispiel Blockstromversorgung bei Schiffen

    Grumm, F., Holstenkamp, L., Maly, C., Mattner, S., Meister, M., Plenz, M., Storjohann, J., Degenhart, H., Schomerus, T. & Schulz, D., 2013, Konferenz für Nachhaltige Energieversorgung und Integration von Speichern - NEIS 2013: Tagungsband. Schulz, D. (ed.). Hamburg: Helmut-Schmidt-Universität, p. 174-181 8 p.

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