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

    Massnahmen bei mangelhafter Betondeckung

    Quitmann, H. D. & Solacolu, C., 11.1988, In: Beton Dusseldorf. 38, 11, p. 444-448 5 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  2. Published

    Mass-Mediated Expertise as Informal Policy Advice

    Petersen, I., Heinrichs, H. & Peters, H. P., 01.11.2010, In: Science, Technology and Human Values. 35, 6, p. 865-887 23 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  3. Published

    Maschinelles Lernen als bildungspolitischer Kontrollverlust: Eine spekulative Kontrollgeschichte der Bildungsplanung

    Herberg, J. A., 31.08.2018, Machine Learning : Medien, Infrastrukturen und Technologien der Künstlichen Intelligenz. Engemann, C. & Sudmann, A. (eds.). Bielefeld: transcript Verlag, p. 143-166 24 p.

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

  4. Published

    Martin Hack, Energie-Contracting - Energiedienstleistungen und dezentrale Energieversorgung

    Schomerus, C.-T., 04.2016, In: Zeitschrift für das gesamte Recht der Energiewirtschaft EnWZ. 4/2016, p. Aktuell 10-11 2 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsCritical reviewsTransfer

  5. Published

    Marktorientiertes Umweltmanagement

    Schaltegger, S. & Petersen, H., 2000, Hagen: FernUniversität in Hagen.

    Research output: Books and anthologiesMonographsEducation

  6. Published

    Marktorientiertes Nachhaltigkeitscontrolling

    Schaltegger, S., 2014, Sustainable Marketing Management: Grundlagen und Cases. Meffert, H., Kenning, P. & Kirchgeorg, M. (eds.). Wiesbaden: Gabler Verlag, p. 271-287 17 p.

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

  7. Published

    Marginal Calluna populations are more resistant to climate change, but not under high-nitrogen loads

    Meyer-Grünefeldt, M., Belz, K., Calvo, L., Marcos, E., Oheimb, G. & Härdtle, W., 01.01.2016, In: Plant Ecology. 217, 1, p. 111-122 12 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  8. Published

    Mapping the Links of Corporate Sustainability: Sustainability Balanced Scorecards as a Tool for Sustainability Performance Measurement and Management

    Wagner, M. & Schaltegger, S., 08.09.2017, Managing the Business Case for Sustainability: The Integration of Social, Environmental and Economic Performance. Schaltegger, S. & Wagner, M. (eds.). Sheffield: Greenleaf Publishing, p. 108-126 21 p.

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

  9. Published

    Mapping the intersection of planetary boundaries and environmentally extended input-output analysis: A systematic literature review

    León, M. F. G., Bankert, A., Becerra, D. T. & Abson, D. J., 01.06.2025, In: Sustainable Production and Consumption. 56, p. 546-560 15 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsScientific review articlesResearch

  10. Published

    Mapping relative risk for biodiversity from the application of pesticides, focusing on pollinators

    Sørensen, P., Gyldenkærne, S., Potts, S. G., Brittain, C. & Thomsen, M., 2010, Atlas of biodiversity risk. Settele, J., Penev, L., Georgiev, T., Grabaum, R., Grobelnik, V., Hammen, V., Klotz, S., Kotarac, M. & Kuhn, I. (eds.). Sofia: Pensoft Publishers Ltd., p. 228 1 p.

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