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
Applicability of the European Commission's framework on safe and sustainable by design to the pharmaceutical sector
Puhlmann, N., Abbate, E., Kümmerer, K., Oomen, A. G., Ragas, A. M. J. & Moermond, C., 12.2024, In: Sustainable Chemistry and Pharmacy. 42, 15 p., 101845.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
- Published
Betriebliches Nachhaltigkeitsbarometer Niedersachsen 2024: Einblicke in Nachhaltigkeit und Klimaschutz in der niedersächsischen Wirtschaft
Hartmann, E., Wilkens, M. & Heinrichs, H., 20.11.2024, Lüneburg: Leuphana Universität Lüneburg, 42 p. (Schriftenreihe Nachhaltigkeit, Politik, Gesellschaft; no. 7).Research output: Working paper › Research communication reports › Research
- Published
Decolonizing RFMOs: The Case of The United Kingdom’s IOTC Membership on Behalf of the Chagos Archipelago
Schatz, V. J., 14.10.2024, International Fisheries Law: Persistent and Emerging Challenges. Kunoy, B., Heidar, T. & Yiallourides, C. (eds.). London: Taylor and Francis Inc., p. 17-33 17 p.Research output: Contributions to collected editions/works › Chapter › peer-review
- Published
Geodesign as a boundary management process: Co-creating and negotiating sustainable landscape futures. Participatory research methods for sustainability – toolkit #11
Gottwald, S., Albert, C., Arciniegas, G., Ducci, M., Jajeh, S., Janssen, R. & Taylor, R., 29.10.2024, In: GAIA - Ecological Perspectives for Science and Society. 33, 3, p. 282-285 4 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Comments / Debate / Reports › Research
- Published
Mental contrasting and conflict management in satisfied and unsatisfied romantic relationships
Jöhnk, H., Sevincer, A. T. & Oettingen, G., 02.2025, In: Journal of Social and Personal Relationships. 42, 2, p. 367-391 25 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
- Published
Shrub cover declined as Indigenous populations expanded across southeast Australia
Mariani, M., Wills, A., Herbert, A., Adeleye, M., Florin, S. A., Cadd, H., Connor, S., Kershaw, P., Theuerkauf, M., Stevenson, J., Fletcher, M. S., Mooney, S., Bowman, D. & Haberle, S., 01.11.2024, In: Science (New York, N.Y.). 386, 6721, p. 567-573 7 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
- Published
Transdiziplinäre Zusammenarbeit für nachhaltige Flächennutzung: Verständnis fördern, Szenarien entwicklen, Synergien finden
Pfendtner-Heise, J., Krebs, A. & von Wehrden, H., 11.2024, 9 p.Research output: other publications › Contributions to online encyclopedia › Transfer
- Published
The role of emerging scientists in restoration ecology: insights from a SER2023 conference workshop
Weidlich, E. W. A., Amaral, V., Lengefeld, E., Reis, B. P., Garbowski, M., Martelli, E., Moraes, L. F. D. & Murphy, S. D., 03.2025, In: Restoration Ecology. 33, 3, 5 p., e14318.Research output: Journal contributions › Comments / Debate / Reports › Research
- E-pub ahead of print
Defeminizing Sustainability: How to Boost Men’s Motivation for Proenvironmental Behavior
Hällfritzsch, M., Volpi, L., Daniel, K. G., Somogyi, C., Kause, A., Reese, G. & Loschelder, D. D., 2024, (E-pub ahead of print) In: Motivation Science.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
- Published
Correction to: Determination and risk assessment of UV filters and benzotriazole UV stabilizers in wastewater from a wastewater treatment plant in Lüneburg, Germany (Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, (2024), 196, 8, (725), 10.1007/s10661-024-12853-2)
Ajibola, A. S., Reich, M. & Kümmerer, K., 11.2024, In: Environmental Monitoring and Assessment. 196, 11, 1 p., 1095.Research output: Journal contributions › Comments / Debate / Reports › Research
- Published
One Fits Them All? Metaphors in Multilingual Biology Classes
Sowinski, R. & Abels, S., 01.09.2024, Connecting Science Education with Cultural Heritage: Proceedings of the ESERA 2023 Conference. Kaya, G., Sardag, M. & Gul, K. (eds.). Oxford: European Science Education Research Association, Vol. 3. p. 246-256 11 p.Research output: Contributions to collected editions/works › Article in conference proceedings › Research › peer-review
- Published
A Universal Digital Stress Management Intervention for Employees: Randomized Controlled Trial with Health-Economic Evaluation
Freund, J., Smit, F., Lehr, D., Zarski, A. C., Berking, M., Riper, H., Funk, B., Ebert, D. D. & Buntrock, C., 22.10.2024, In: Journal of Medical Internet Research. 26, 13 p., e48481.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
- Published
Revisiting the sustainability science research agenda
Sahle, M., Lahoti, S. A., Lee, S. Y., Brundiers, K., van Riper, C. J., Pohl, C., Chien, H., Bohnet, I. C., Aguilar-Rivera, N., Edwards, P., Pradhan, P., Plieninger, T., Boonstra, W. J., Flor, A. G., Di Fabio, A., Scheidel, A., Gordon, C., Abson, D. J., Andersson, E., Demaria, F., Kenter, J. O., Brooks, J., Kauffman, J., Hamann, M., Graziano, M., Nagabhatla, N., Mimura, N., Fagerholm, N., O’Farrell, P., Saito, O. & Takeuchi, K., 01.2025, In: Sustainability Science. 20, 1, p. 1-19 19 p., e0261190.Research output: Journal contributions › Other (editorial matter etc.) › Research
- Published
Toward Sustainable Water Governance? Taking Stock of Paradigms, Practices, and Sustainability Outcomes
Bilalova, S., Newig, J. & Villamayor-Tomas, S., 01.01.2025, In: Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Water. 12, 1, 12 p., e1762.Research output: Journal contributions › Scientific review articles › Research
- Published
Values-based barriers and good practices in sustainability-oriented innovation management
Ivanov, K., 03.2025, In: Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management. 32, 2, p. 1393-1411 19 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Scientific review articles › Research
- Published
Policy as normative influence? On the relationship between parental leave policy and social norms in gender division of childcare across 48 countries
Author Collaboration für "Policy as normative influence?", Schindler, S., Schuster, C., Olsson, M. I. T., Froehlich, L. & Hübner, A. K., 04.2025, In: British Journal of Social Psychology. 24 p., e12806.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
- E-pub ahead of print
Lagged Multidimensional Recurrence Quantification Analysis for Determining Leader–Follower Relationships Within Multidimensional Time Series
Tomashin, A., Gordon, I., Leonardi, G., Berson, Y., Milstein, N., Ziegler, M., Hess, U. & Wallot, S., 10.10.2024, (E-pub ahead of print) In: Psychological Methods. 15 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
- Published
Biodiversität, Ökosystemfunktionen und Naturschutz
Härdtle, W., 19.06.2024, Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer Verlag. 911 p. (Life Science and Basic Disciplines)Research output: Books and anthologies › Book
- Published
Africa’s mountainous islands: archipelagos of fire, water, and problem species
Clark, V. R., Ah-Peng, C., Arévalo, J. R., Backes, A. R., Rouget, M., Martin, G. & Haider, S., 01.01.2024, Safeguarding Mountain Social-Ecological Systems, Vol 2: Building Transformative Resilience in Mountain Regions Worldwide. Schneiderbauer, S., Schroder, J. F., Pisa, P. F. & Szarzynski, J. (eds.). Elsevier, Vol. 2. p. 129-149 21 p.Research output: Contributions to collected editions/works › Chapter › peer-review
- Published
Reallabor versus Realexperiment: Was macht den Unterschied?
Parodi, O., Ober, S., Lang, D. J. & Albiez, M., 26.08.2024, In: GAIA - Ecological Perspectives for Science and Society. 33, 2, p. 216-221 6 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Comments / Debate / Reports › Research
- Published
Plant neighbors differentially alter a focal species' biotic interactions through changes to resource allocation
Turner, S. C. & Schweitzer, J. A., 11.2024, In: Ecology. 105, 11, 18 p., e4395.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
- Published
Investigation of the utilization of oat pomace and acid whey in technical scale succinic acid fermentation including downstream processing
Kleps, C., Schneider, R., Venus, J. & Pleißner, D., 01.12.2024, In: Sustainable Chemistry One World. 4, 7 p., 100028.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
- Published
Temperate alley-cropping agroforestry improves pest control potential by promoting spider abundance and functional diversity
Matevski, D., Sagolla, V., Beule, L. & Schuldt, A., 12.2024, In: Journal of Applied Ecology. 61, 12, p. 3079-3091 13 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
- Published
Exploring Management Control Systems for Biodiversity: Insights from Three Food Companies
Hübel, C. & Wenzig, J., 04.2025, In: Social and Environmental Accountability Journal. 45, 1, p. 42-72 31 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
- Published
Grassroots relational approaches to agricultural transformation in Latin America
Allen, K. E., Ortiz-Przychodzka, S., Coelho-Junior, M. G., Herrmann, T., Atchley, M., Benra, F., Chavez, V., Darvin, E., McCabe, J., Nahuelhual, L., Rodrigues, C. H. & Muraca, B., 2024, In: Ecosystems and People. 20, 1, 16 p., 2390470.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
- Published
The impact of biodiversity information on willingness to pay
Hörisch, J., Petersen, L. & Jacobs, K., 12.2024, In: Journal of Industrial Ecology. 28, 6, p. 1641-1656 16 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
- Published
Using cross-recurrence quantification analysis to compute similarity measures for time series of unequal length with applications to sleep stage analysis
Drews, H. J., Felletti, F., Kallestad, H., Drews, A., Scott, J., Sand, T., Engstrøm, M., Heglum, H. S. A., Vethe, D., Salvesen, Ø., Langsrud, K., Morken, G. & Wallot, S., 12.2024, In: Scientific Reports. 14, 1, 14 p., 23142.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
- Published
Analyzing the political impact of Real-world laboratories for urban transformation in eight German ‘Cities of the Future’
Kampfmann, T., Lang, D. J. & Weiser, A., 12.2024, In: Environmental Science and Policy. 162, 12 p., 103923.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
- Published
The pace of life for forest trees
Author Collaboration of "The pace of life for forest trees.", Bialic-Murphy, L., McElderry, R. M., Esquivel-Muelbert, A., van den Hoogen, J., Zuidema, P. A., Phillips, O. L., de Oliveira, E. A. & Klipel, J., 04.10.2024, In: Science (New York, N.Y.). 386, 6717, p. 92-98 7 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
- Published
Life Cycle Assessment of Consumption Patterns – Understanding the links between changing social practices and environmental impacts
Suski, P., Augenstein, K. & Greiff, K., 20.10.2024, In: Journal of Cleaner Production. 477, 13 p., 143813.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
- Published
Promoting neighbourhood sharing: infrastructures of convenience and community
Huber, A., Heinrichs, H. & Jäger-Erben, M., 22.08.2024, In: Buildings and Cities. 5, 1, p. 349-367 19 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Transfer › peer-review
- Published
Ungleiche Partizipationschancen in heterogenen Lerngruppen: Eine ethnografische Studie in Klassenräten inklusiver Grundschulklassen
Meyn, J., 2025, Bad Heilbrunn: Verlag Julius Klinkhardt. 322 p. (Forschung Klinkhardt )Research output: Books and anthologies › Monographs › Research › peer-review
- Published
A cultural comparison of children’s emotion knowledge: Data from two cultures
Schapira, R., von Salisch, M. & Voltmer, K., 01.2025, In: International Journal of Behavioral Development. 49, 1, p. 38-48 11 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
- Published
“We cannot escape this”: discussing leverage points for sustainability across scales with the example of Ouvéa, Kanaky New Caledonia
Riechers, M., Baumann, L., Braun, M., Ganachaud, A., Heeg, P. & Sabinot, C., 12.2024, In: Regional Environmental Change. 24, 4, 15 p., 146.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
- Published
Wirtschaftsvölkerrechtlicher Rahmen
Bäumler, J., 2023, Lieferkettensorgfaltspflichtenrecht: LkSG, GwB, EU-HolzhandelsVO, EU-KonfliktmineralienVO, BetrVG, WRegG, CSR-RL-UmsG. Kaltenborn, M., Krajewski, M., Rühl, G. & Saage-Maaß, M. (eds.). München: C.H. Beck Verlag, p. 34-44 20 p. (Beck'sche Kurz-Kommentare).Research output: Contributions to collected editions/works › Contributions in collection of commentaries › Research
- Published
Citizen Science-Based Monitoring of Cavity-Nesting Wild Bees and Wasps – Benefits for Volunteers, Insects, and Ecological Science
Lindermann, L., Grabener, S., Hellwig, N., Stahl, J. & Dieker, P., 04.09.2024, In: Citizen Science: Theory and Practice. 9, 1, 12 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
- Published
§ 22 Level Playing Field and Sustainable Development
Bäumler, J., 05.04.2024, EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement: A Handbook. Kübek, G., Tams, C. J. & Terhechte, J. P. (eds.). Baden Baden: Nomos Verlagsgesellschaft, p. 359-380 22 p.Research output: Contributions to collected editions/works › Contributions to collected editions/anthologies › Transfer
- Published
Safe-and-sustainable-by-design roadmap: identifying research, competencies, and knowledge sharing needs
Apel, C., Sudheshwar, A., Kümmerer, K., Nowack, B., Midander, K., Strömberg, E. & Soeteman-Hernández, L. G., 19.08.2024, In: RSC Sustainability. 2, 10, p. 2833-2838 6 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Scientific review articles › Research
- Published
Applying the Three Horizons approach in local and regional scenarios to support policy coherence in SDG implementation: Insights from arid Spain
López-Rodríguez, M. D., Jiménez-Aceituno, A., Quintas-Soriano, C., Miguel Requena-Mullor, J., Garau, E., Alba-Patiño, D., Otamendi-Urroz, I., Aguiar, A. P. D., Cortés-Calderón, S. & Castro, A. J., 01.12.2024, In: Global Environmental Change. 89, 16 p., 102922.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
- 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 contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
- 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 contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
- 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 contributions › Comments / Debate / Reports › Research
- 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 contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
- 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 contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
- 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 contributions › Scientific review articles › Research
- 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 contributions › Journal articles › Transfer › peer-review
- 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 contributions › Other (editorial matter etc.) › Research
- 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 paper › Project reports › Transfer
- 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 contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
- Published
Ecological features facilitating spread of alien plants along Mediterranean mountain roads
Santoianni, L. A., Innangi, M., Varricchione, M., Carboni, M., La Bella, G., Haider, S. & Stanisci, A., 11.2024, In: Biological Invasions. 26, 11, p. 3879-3899 21 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review