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

    Demokratiebildung als Querschnittsaufgabe beruflicher Bildung

    Hantke, H., Heitzhausen, S., Kaiser, F., Tafner, G., Wittau, F. & Zurstrassen, B., 2025, Jahrbuch der berufs- und wirtschaftspädagogische Forschung 2024. Kögler, K., Kremer, H.-H. & Herkner, V. (eds.).

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

  2. Published

    Democratising platform governance in the sharing economy: An analytical framework and initial empirical insights

    Martin, C. J., Upham, P. & Klapper, R., 10.11.2017, In: Journal of Cleaner Production. 166, p. 1395-1406 12 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  3. Published

    Democratic innovation and environmental governance

    Newig, J., Challies, E. & Jager, N. W., 05.12.2019, Handbook of Democratic Innovation and Governance. Elstub, S. & Escobar, O. (eds.). Edward Elgar Publishing, p. 324-338 15 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksChapterpeer-review

  4. Published

    Demirovic, Alex, Julia Dück, Florian Becker u. Pauline Bader (Hg.), VielfachKrise im finanzmarktdominierten Kapitalismus, 2011

    Friedrich, B., 2011, In: Das Argument. 53, 4, p. 621-623 2 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsCritical reviewsResearch

  5. Published

    Demarcating transdisciplinary research in sustainability science—Five clusters of research modes based on evidence from 59 research projects

    Jahn, S., Newig, J., Lang, D. J., Kahle, J. & Bergmann, M., 01.04.2022, In: Sustainable Development. 30, 2, p. 343-357 15 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  6. Published

    Delivering community benefits through REDD plus : Lessons from Joint Forest Management in Zambia

    Leventon, J., Kalaba, F. K., Dyer, J. C., Stringer, L. C. & Dougill, A. J., 07.2014, In: Forest Policy and Economics. 44, p. 10-17 8 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  7. Published

    Delineating boundaries of social-ecological systems for landscape planning: A comprehensive spatial approach

    Martín-López, B., Palomo, I., García-Llorente, M., Iniesta-Arandia, I., Castro, A. J., García Del Amo, D., Gómez-Baggethun, E. & Montes, C., 01.07.2017, In: Land Use Policy. 66, p. 90-104 15 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  8. Published

    Dehydration and Pelletisation of Agricultural Biomass by Extrusion

    Müller, J., Lüdeke-Freund, F. & Lutzenberger, A., 2009, From research to industry and markets. G. F., D. S. (ed.). Hamburg, p. 427-429

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

  9. Published

    Dehalogenation of polychlorinated aromatics using the APEG-PLUS™ technology

    Birke, V., 2002, Remediation of Chlorinated and Recalcitrant Compounds - 2002: Proceedings of the Third International Conference on Remediation of Chlorinated and Recalcitrant Compounds. Gavaskar, A. R. & Chen, A. S. C. (eds.). Battelle Presse, p. 2167-2175 9 p. (Proceedings of the Third International Conference on Remediation of Chlorinated and Recalcitrant Compounds).

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

  10. Published

    Degradation of β-blockers in hospital wastewater by means of ozonation and Fe2+/ozonation

    Wilde, M. L., Montipó, S. & Martins, A. F., 01.01.2014, In: Water Research. 48, 1, p. 280-295 16 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

Recently viewed

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
  26. Active Cityship in the planning process for the future plan "More Altona"