School of Sustainability
Organisational unit: Research School
- Centre for Sustainability Management (CSM)
- Institute of Ecology
- Institute of Ethics and Transdisciplinary Sustainability Research
- Institute of Sustainability Governance
- Institute of Sustainability Material Flows and Circularity
- Institute of Sustainability Psychology
- Institute of Sustainable Chemistry
- Social-Ecological Systems Institute (SESI)
- Sustainability Education and Transdisciplinary Research Institute
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.
- Published
Implementing Education for Sustainable Development in teacher education: case studies from Germany
Kater-Wettstädt, L., Bruhn, K., Bürgener, L. & Barth, M., 2019, Environmental Education. Lahiri, S. (ed.). Delhi: Studera Press, p. 13-32 20 p. 2Research output: Contributions to collected editions/works › Contributions to collected editions/anthologies › Research › peer-review
- Published
Implementing Corporate Sustainability: What drives the Application of Sustainability Management Tools in Germany?
Windolph, S. E., Schaltegger, S. & Herzig, C., 28.10.2014, In: Sustainability Accounting, Management and Policy Journal. 5, 4, p. 378-404 27 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
- Published
Implementierung von Sozialstandards in die Wertschöpfungskette von Bekleidungsunternehmen durch die Bildung von Kooperationen
Knolle, M., 2006, Lüneburg: Centre for Sustainability Management, 95 p.Research output: Working paper › Working papers
- Published
Implementierung einer Bildung für eine nachhaltige Entwicklung in den Kindergarten aus organisationaler Perspektive
Godemann, J., 2002, Umweltbewusstsein unter dem Leitbild nachhaltige Entwicklung. Bolscho, D. (ed.). Opladen: Verlag Leske + Budrich, p. 127-167 41 p. („Ökologie und Erziehungswissenschaft“ der Kommission „Umweltbildung“; vol. 9).Research output: Contributions to collected editions/works › Contributions to collected editions/anthologies › Research
- Published
Implementation of Vocational Education and Training for Sustainable Development Through Cooperation Between Research and Practice
Hantsch, R. & Hantke, H., 2025, Education for Sustainable Development: The Contribution of Universities. Leal Filho, W., Trevisan, L. V., Pace, P. J. & Mifsud, M. (eds.). Cham: Springer Nature, p. 161-175Research output: Contributions to collected editions/works › Contributions to collected editions/anthologies › Research › peer-review
- Published
Implementation of Sustainability Management and Company Size: A Knowledge-Based View
Hörisch, J., Johnson, M. & Schaltegger, S., 01.12.2015, In: Business Strategy and the Environment. 24, 8, p. 765-779 15 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
- Published
Implementation digitaler Medien in die naturwissenschaftliche Lehramtsausbildung
Stinken-Rösner, L., 2021, Fachliche Bildung und digitale Transformation - Fachdidaktische Forschung und Diskurse: Fachtagung der Gesellschaft für Fachdidaktik 2020. Maurer, C., Rincke, K. & Hemmer, M. (eds.). Regensburg: Universität Regensburg, p. 181-184 4 p.Research output: Contributions to collected editions/works › Article in conference proceedings › Research
- Published
Impacts of urban real-world labs: Insights from a co-evaluation process informed by structuration theory in Wuppertal-Mirke
Wanner, M., Augenstein, K., von Wirth, T. & Lang, D. J., 16.03.2024, In: GAIA - Ecological Perspectives for Science and Society. 33, Supplement 1, p. 102-109 8 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
- Published
Impacts of species richness on productivity in a large-scale subtropical forest experiment
Huang, Y., Chen, Y., Castro-Izaguirre, N., Baruffol, M., Brezzi, M., Lang, A., Li, Y., Härdtle, W., Von Oheimb, G., Yang, X., Liu, X., Pei, K., Both, S., Yang, B., Eichenberg, D., Assmann, T., Bauhus, J., Behrens, T., Buscot, F., Chen, X. Y., Chesters, D., Ding, B. Y., Durka, W., Erfmeier, A., Fang, J., Fischer, M., Guo, L. D., Guo, D., Gutknecht, J. L. M., He, J. S., He, C.-L., Hector, A., Hönig, L., Hu, R. Y., Klein, A. M., Kühn, P., Liang, Y., Li, S., Michalski, S., Scherer-Lorenzen, M., Schmidt, K., Scholten, T., Schuldt, A., Shi, X., Tan, M. Z., Tang, Z., Trogisch, S., Wang, Z., Welk, E., Wirth, C., Wubet, T., Xiang, W., Yu, M., Yu, X.-D., Zhang, J., Zhang, S., Zhang, N., Zhou, H.-Z., Zhu, C.-D., Zhu, L., Bruelheide, H., Ma, K., Niklaus, P. A. & Schmid, B., 05.10.2018, In: Science. 362, 6410, p. 80-83 4 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
- Published
Impacts of software and its engineering on the carbon footprint of ICT
Kern, E., Dick, M., Naumann, S. & Hiller, T., 01.04.2015, In: Environmental Impact Assessment Review. 52, p. 53-61 9 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review