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

    Sustainable Balanced Scorecard in der Flughafen Hamburg GmbH

    Diaz Guerrero, A., Möller, D. & Wagner, M., 2002, Nachhaltig managen mit der Balanced Scorecard: Konzept und Fallstudien. Schaltegger, S. & Dyllick, T. (eds.). Wiesbaden: Dr. Gabler Verlag, p. 229-257 29 p.

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

  2. Published

    Sustainable assessment of biofuels and agricultural production of biomass

    Lutzenberger, A. & Ruck, W., 2010, Frrom research to Industry and Markets: Proceedings of the 18th International Conference held in Lyon, France, 3 -7 May 2010. Spitzer, J., Dallemand, J. F., Baxter, D. & Ossenbrink, H. (eds.). Florence: ETA-Florence and WIP Renewable Energies, p. 2253-2258 6 p.

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

  3. Published

    Sustainable and Social Entrepreneurship

    Schaltegger, S. (Editor), 2009, Lüneburg: Centre for Sustainability Management. 16 p. (CSM-Newsletter; vol. 1/2009)

    Research output: Books and anthologiesSpecial Journal issueTransfer

  4. Published

    Sustainabiltiy Leadership. Eine Annäherung aus wissenschaftlicher Perspektive: ein Beitrag des Centre for Sustainability Management (CSM), Universität Lüneburg

    Schaltegger, S., 2005, BAUM Jahrbuch. B.A.U.M. (ed.). Hamburg: Henkel Kommunikation, p. 60-63 4 p.

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

  5. Published

    Sustainability Transitions and the Spatial Interface: Developing Conceptual Perspectives

    Levin-Keitel, M., Mölders, T., Othengrafen, F. & Ibendorf, J., 05.06.2018, In: Sustainability. 10, 6, 15 p., 1880.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  6. Published

    Sustainability through institutional failure and decline? Archetypes of productive pathways

    Newig, J., Derwort, P. & Jager, N. W., 03.2019, In: Ecology and Society. 24, 1, 14 p., 18.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  7. Published

    Sustainability, Substance Flow Management and Time: Part I: Temporal Analysis of Substance Flows

    Kümmerer, K. & Hofmeister, S., 09.2008, In: Journal of Environmental Management. 88, 4, p. 1333-1342 10 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  8. Published

    Sustainability Strategies: What's in a Name? A Conceptual Restatement of Fundamental Mechanisms Toward Sustainability

    Hartmann, E., 08.2025, In: Sustainable Development. 33, 4, p. 5983-5997 15 p., sd.3443.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  9. Published

    "Sustainability State” in the Making? Institutionalization of Sustainability in German Federal Policy Making

    Heinrichs, H. & Laws, N., 05.05.2014, In: Sustainability. 6, 5, p. 2623-2641 19 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  10. Published

    Sustainability—Special Issue “Resources and Waste Management”

    Friege, H., Raatz, S. & Lou, Z., 08.2025, In: Sustainability (Switzerland). 17, 16, 2 p., 7369.

    Research output: Journal contributionsOther (editorial matter etc.)Research

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Publications

  1. Wood-pastures of Europe
  2. Tertiäre Regulierung und Nachhaltigkeit
  3. Unterrichtsfeedback als Kerntätigkeit
  4. The relevance of cultural aspects in cross cultural management in multinational companies
  5. And Fairness for all ? Wie gerecht ist die Finanzierung im deutschen Gesundheitssystem ?
  6. Plasticizer and Surfactant Formation from Food-Waste- and Algal Biomass-Derived Lipids
  7. The Archival Research on Les Immatériaux
  8. Gelebte Inklusion oder große Ungerechtigkeit?
  9. Montesano Montessori, Nicolina, Michael Farrelly, und Jane Mulderrig (eds.) (2019): Critical Policy Discourse Analysis. Advances in Critical Policy Studies
  10. Book review on "Doing business with Germans"
  11. Perfektionismus und Pathologien der Selbstverwirklichung
  12. Koordinate (0/0)
  13. Die Erweiterung der Ökodesign-Richtlinie - auf dem Weg zur "Super-Umweltrichtlinie"?
  14. Die Kunst in der konnexionistischen Welt
  15. Ageing
  16. Live spielen
  17. Caroline Struchholz: Geflüchtete im deutschen Hochschulsystem
  18. Experimentieren 4.0 – Zum Einsatz von Experimenten im Biologieunterricht
  19. Gesellschaftliche Funktionen von Museen zwischen Assimilation und Akkommodation
  20. Erfolgreicher dank Qualifikation und Mentoring?
  21. Sick, Bastian: Der Dativ ist dem Genitiv sein Tod, Folge 3: Noch mehr Neues aus dem Irrgarten der deutschen Sprache.
  22. Arzneimittelrückstände in Trinkwasser und Gewässern
  23. Böses auf Erden?
  24. Evaluation der Ergebnisqualität des besonderen Heilverfahrens der Gesetzlichen Unfallversicherung
  25. Kompetenzentwicklung von Lehramtsstudierenden in verlängerten Praxisphasen