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

    A systematic multi-step screening of numerous salt hydrates for low temperature thermochemical energy storage

    N'Tsoukpoe, K. E., Schmidt, T., Rammelberg, H. U., Watts, B. A. & Ruck, W. K. L., 01.07.2014, In: Applied Energy. 124, p. 1-16 16 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  2. Published

    Carbon Management Accounting: A Systematic Literature Review

    Zvezdov, D. & Schaltegger, S., 2014, From Sustainability Reporting to Sustainability Management Control. Rotterdam: Environmental and Sustainability Management Accounting Network, 5 p.

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

  3. Published

    Do Large Companies Ignore Formal Sustainability Management Controls? An Exploration of Corporate Practices

    Crutzen, N. & Schaltegger, S., 2014, From Sustainability Reporting to Sustainability Management Control. Rotterdam: Environmental and Sustainability Management Accounting Network, 4 p.

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

  4. Published

    Place, case and process: Applying ecology to sustainable development

    Fischer, J., Sherren, K. & Hanspach, J., 05.2014, In: Basic and Applied Ecology. 15, 3, p. 187-193 7 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  5. Published

    Interannual variation in land-use intensity enhances grassland multidiversity

    Allan, E., Bossdorf, O., Dormann, C. F., Prati, D., Gossner, M. M., Tscharntke, T., Blüthgen, N., Bellach, M., Birkhofer, K., Boch, S., Böhm, S., Börschig, C., Chatzinotas, A., Christ, S., Daniel, R., Diekötter, T., Fischer, C., Friedl, T., Glaser, K., Hallmann, C., Hodac, L., Hölzel, N., Jung, K., Klein, A. M., Klaus, V. H., Kleinebecker, T., Krauss, J., Lange, M., Morris, E. K., Müller, J., Nacke, H., Pašalić, E., Rillig, M. C., Rothenwöhrer, C., Schall, P., Scherber, C., Schulze, W., Socher, S. A., Steckel, J., Steffan-Dewenter, I., Türke, M., Weiner, C. N., Werner, M., Westphal, C., Wolters, V., Wubet, T., Gockel, S., Gorke, M., Hemp, A., Renner, S. C., Schöning, I., Pfeiffer, S., König-Ries, B., Buscot, F., Linsenmair, K. E., Schulze, E. D., Weisser, W. W. & Fischer, M., 07.01.2014, In: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (USA). 111, 1, p. 308-313 6 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  6. Published

    Das Erbe der Sylvicultura oeconomica. Eine kritische Reflexion des Nachhaltigkeitsbegriffs

    Gottschlich, D. & Friedrich, B., 27.03.2014, In: GAIA. 23, 1, p. 23-29 7 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  7. Published

    Nature-gender relations within a Social-Ecological Perspective on European Multifunctional Agriculture: The Case of Agrobiodiversity

    Burandt, A. & Mölders, T., 01.12.2017, In: Agriculture and Human Values. 34, 4, p. 955–967 13 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  8. Published

    Multifunctional Agricultural Policies – Pathways towards Sustainable Rural Development?

    Mölders, T., 2014, In: International Journal of Sociology of Agriculture and Food. 21, 1, p. 97-114 18 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  9. Published

    Sufficiency and Subsistence – On two important concepts for Sustainable Development

    Mölders, T., Szumelda, A. U. & von Winterfeld, U., 2014, In: Problemy Ekorozwoju. 9, 1, p. 21-27 8 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  10. Published

    Pressure effects on activity and selectivity of Candida rugosa lipase in organic solvents

    Herbst, D., Peper, S., Fernández, J. F., Ruck, W. & Niemeyer, B., 02.2014, In: Journal of Molecular Catalysis B: Enzymatic. 100, p. 104-110 7 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review