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

    Biosphere Reserves as catalysts for sustainability transformations: five strategies to support place-based innovation

    Dabard, C. H., Mann, C. & Martín-López, B., 01.04.2025, In: Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability. 73, 6 p., 101508.

    Research output: Journal contributionsScientific review articlesResearch

  2. Published

    Kollaboratives Forschen und Lernen im Prozess bildungsbezogener Arbeit

    Hantke, H. & Hantsch, R., 2025, In: berufsbildung - Zeitschrift für Theorie-Praxis-Dialog. 1/2025, 205

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesTransferpeer-review

  3. Published

    Political embedding of climate assemblies. How effective strategies for policy impact depend on context

    Pfeffer, J. & Newig, J., 01.02.2025, In: Environmental Science and Policy. 164, 11 p., 103993.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  4. Published

    Framing resilience: Post-disaster communication in Aotearoa-New Zealand

    Buelow, F., Brower, A. & Cradock-Henry, N., 01.02.2025, In: International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction. 117, 13 p., 105167.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  5. Published

    Cybermobbing, Hatespeech, Sexting und Cybergrooming. Online-Interaktionsrisiken von Kindern und Jugendlichen aus psychologischer Sicht

    Paschel, F., Schultz, M., Salisch, M. & Pfetsch, J., 16.01.2025, Weinheim: Beltz Juventa Verlag. 212 p.

    Research output: Books and anthologiesBook

  6. Published

    Eco-pharma dilemma: Navigating environmental sustainability trade-offs within the lifecycle of pharmaceuticals – A comment

    Moermond, C. T. A., Puhlmann, N., Pieters, L., Matharu, A., Boone, L., Dobbelaere, M., Proquin, H., Kümmerer, K., Ragas, A. M. J., Vidaurre, R., Venhuis, B. & De Smedt, D., 01.02.2025, In: Sustainable Chemistry and Pharmacy. 43, 10 p., 101893.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  7. Published

    Ecosystem service supply and (in)equality archetypes

    Benra, F., Pacheco-Romero, M. & Fischer, J., 02.2025, In: Ecosystem Services. 71, 11 p., 101683.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  8. Accepted/In press

    Inclusive transdisciplinarity: Embracing diverse ways of being and knowing through inner work

    Manuel-Navarrete, D., Grauer, C., Brundiers, K., Chilisa, B., Bin Zanusi, Z. A., Seidel, T., Tolksdorf, F. & Lang, D. J., 2025, (Accepted/In press) In: Ecology and Society.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  9. Published
  10. Published

    Gemeinsam für das Klima: Sachinformationen, Praxisbeispiele und didaktische Anregungen

    Kater-Wettstädt, L., Bürgener, L., Brandt, J.-O., Weigel, S., Power, M., Roncevic, K. & Rudek, J., 08.2024, Hamburg. 116 p.

    Research output: Books and anthologiesCompendium/lecture notesTransfer

Recently viewed

Researchers

  1. Tanja Maier

Publications

  1. A clue on bee glue
  2. Hochschulen und Nachhaltigkeit
  3. Mindfulness training at school
  4. Culture and Capital
  5. Die Collage als Spottidiom
  6. Training der unternehmerischen Selbstständigkeit
  7. Das Projekt „Fach-an-Sprache-an-Fach“
  8. Personal als Ressource?
  9. Die Medien und das Neue
  10. Linking transitions to sustainability
  11. Authoritarianism as a group phenomenon
  12. Chancen för erneuerbare Energien in Wärmenetzen
  13. Queering
  14. Keeping in touch
  15. Chemisches Gewichtheben
  16. Ein internetbasiertes Problemlösetraining zur Reduktion psychischer Beanspruchung bei belasteten Lehrern
  17. Analysing the Gender Wage Gap Using Personnel Records of a Large German Company
  18. Mechanisms promoting tree species co-existence
  19. Strategien und Umsetzungspotenziale einer Berufsbildung für nachhaltige Entwicklung
  20. Children's literature and translation studies
  21. Biographische Kleinformen
  22. Sustainability of rural electrification programs based on off-grid photovoltaic (PV) systems in Chile
  23. Import, Export und Produktivität in niedersächsischen Unternehmen des verarbeitenden Gewerbes
  24. Zur psychophysischen Bedeutung c-förmiger Simplex-Organisationen bei der Multidimensionalen Skalierung
  25. Einkaufszentren in Kanada bedeutungsverlust und umstrukturierung
  26. Kollaboration in globalen wertschöpfungsnetzwerken
  27. German taxi drivers' experiences and expressions of driving anger
  28. §40 Wasserkraft
  29. Croatia
  30. Mindestanforderungen an das Betreiben von Handelsgeschäften.
  31. Erstunterricht
  32. Bildungsreise in digitale Welten
  33. Gute fachliche Praxis
  34. The Termination of International Sanctions
  35. Magnesium recycling system prepared by permanent mould- and high pressure die casting
  36. Transdisziplinarität in der Nachhaltigkeitsforschung
  37. Tendenzen einer Erinnerungspolitik
  38. Notions of justice held by stakeholders of the Newfoundland fishery
  39. Modernization and postmodernization - Cultural, economic and political change in 43 societies
  40. Training participation of a firm's aging workforce