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

    From rebound to reinforcement effects. The role of analyzing underlying mechanisms for accounting

    Schaltegger, S., Amend, C. & Wüst, S., 01.09.2024, In: Journal of Sustainable Finance and Accounting. 3, 10 p., 100014.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  2. Published

    Organizational Ethical Cultures and Social Embeddedness – A Research Framework for Investigating Externally Anchored Organizational Worldviews

    Beckmann, M. & Hörisch, J., 2024, In: Zeitschrift für Wirtschafts- und Unternehmensethik. 25, 2, p. 307-331 25 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  3. Published

    Why gender matters for addressing chemical pollution

    Wang, M., Balayannis, A., Rother, H. A., Hemmati, M., Holthaus, A. & Zuin Zeidler, V., 01.09.2024, In: The Lancet Planetary Health. 8, 9, 1 p., e611.

    Research output: Journal contributionsComments / Debate / ReportsResearch

  4. Published

    Interplays between relational and instrumental values: insights from research experiences on human–nature relations

    Riechers, M., Pearson, J., Diaz-Cruz, N., Ortiz-Przychodzka, S. & Topp, E., 01.2025, In: Sustainability Science. 20, 1, p. 287-298 12 p., 104232.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  5. Published

    Ecosystem Services Justice: The Emergence of a Critical Research Field

    Langemeyer, J., Benra, F., Nahuelhual, L. & Zoderer, B. M., 01.10.2024, In: Ecosystem Services. 69, 11 p., 101655.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  6. Published

    Indigenous and local values of nature through a gender lens: A literature review

    Hartmann, J. Z. & Pearson, J., 01.10.2024, In: Ecosystem Services. 69, 14 p., 101654.

    Research output: Journal contributionsScientific review articlesResearch

  7. Published

    LFB-Labs-digital: Schülerlabore als Ort der Lehrkräftefortbildung in der digitalen Welt: Ein Bericht zur Konzeption eines Verbundprojektes

    Kirchhoff, T., Schwedler, S., Abels, S., Acher, A., Anselmetti, D., Besa, K.-S., Biehl, J., Blumberg, E., Breiter, A., Brückmann, M., Büntemeyer, D., Tegani, M. E., Engelhardt, A., Grotjohann, N., Kiel, C., Kleine, M., Koerber, R., Lambrecht, M., Lehmenkühler, A., Meyer, D., Mußhoff, A., Panhorst, M., Peperkorn, C., Röllke, K., Roth, J., Schäfers, M. S., Schüler, H., Stinken-Rösner, L., Strauß, S., Stricker, J., Temmen, K., Tönsing, K., Verständig, D., Wegner, C., Wellensiek, N., Wenzel, A., Wördemann, D., Ziegler, M., Heinrich, M. & Wilde, M., 19.08.2024, In: PFLB - Zeitschrift für Schul- und Professionsentwicklung. 6, 1, p. 130-155 25 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesTransferpeer-review

  8. Published

    Author Correction: Widening global variability in grassland biomass since the 1980s

    MacDougall, A. S., Esch, E., Chen, Q., Carroll, O., Bonner, C., Ohlert, T., Siewert, M., Sulik, J., Schweiger, A. K., Borer, E. T., Naidu, D., Bagchi, S., Hautier, Y., Wilfahrt, P., Larson, K., Olofsson, J., Cleland, E., Muthukrishnan, R., O’Halloran, L., Alberti, J., Anderson, T. M., Arnillas, C. A., Bakker, J. D., Barrio, I. C., Biederman, L., Boughton, E. H., Brudvig, L. A., Bruschetti, M., Buckley, Y., Bugalho, M. N., Cadotte, M. W., Caldeira, M. C., Catford, J. A., D’Antonio, C., Davies, K., Daleo, P., Dickman, C. R., Donohue, I., DuPre, M. E., Elgersma, K., Eisenhauer, N., Eskelinen, A., Estrada, C., Fay, P. A., Feng, Y., Gruner, D. S., Hagenah, N., Haider, S., Harpole, W. S., Hersch-Green, E., Jentsch, A., Kirkman, K., Knops, J. M. H., Laanisto, L., Lannes, L. S., Laungani, R., Lkhagva, A., Macek, P., Martina, J. P., McCulley, R. L., Melbourne, B., Mitchell, R., Moore, J. L., Morgan, J. W., Muraina, T. O., Niu, Y., Pärtel, M., Peri, P. L., Power, S. A., Price, J. N., Prober, S. M., Ren, Z., Risch, A. C., Smith, N. G., Sonnier, G., Standish, R. J., Stevens, C. J., Tedder, M., Tognetti, P., Veen, G. F., Virtanen, R., Wardle, G. M., Waring, E., Wolf, A. A., Yahdjian, L. & Seabloom, E. W., 01.10.2024, In: Nature Ecology and Evolution. 8, 10, p. 2003 1 p.

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

  9. Published

    Digitale Kontaktnachverfolgung bei Infektionskrankheiten: Projektstudie ZIL-Kontakt

    Drews, P., Funk, B., Heger, J., Lehr, D., Zimmer, M. P. & Lemmer, K., 22.08.2024, Lüneburg: Leuphana Universität Lüneburg, 25 p.

    Research output: Working paperProject reportsTransfer

  10. Published

    The effect of neighbor species' phylogenetic and trait difference on tree growth in subtropical forests

    Klipel, J., Bergamin, R. S., Bordin, K. M., Picolotto, R. C., Müller, S. C. & de Bello, F., 01.07.2024, In: Journal of Vegetation Science. 35, 4, 11 p., e13296.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review