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

    Impact and importance of heterocyclic PAH in remediation: Adsorption of activated carbon

    Mänz, J. S., Naumann, E., Palm, W.-U., Ruck, W. & Birke, V., 2009, CLEANUP 3rd International Contaminated Site Remediation Conference: Program and Proceedings. CRC CARE , p. 15-16 2 p.

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

  2. Published

    Kläranlagen als Quelle für polyfluorierte Verbindungen in der Atmosphäre

    Vierke, L., Ahrens, L., Shoeib, M., Harner, T., Palm, W.-U. & Ebinghaus, R., 2011, In: Mitteilungen der Fachgruppe Umweltchemie und Ökotoxikologie. 17, 1, p. 4-7 4 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearch

  3. Published

    Inside-sediment partitioning of PAH, PCB and organochlorine compounds and inferences on sampling and normalization methods

    Opel, O., Palm, W.-U., Steffen, D. & Ruck, W., 04.2011, In: Environmental Pollution. 159, 4, p. 924-931 8 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  4. Published

    Community assembly during secondary forest succession in a Chinese subtropical forest

    Bruelheide, H., Böhnke, M., Both, S., Fang, T., Aßmann, T., Baruffol, M., Bauhus, J., Buscot, F., Chen, X.-Y., Ding, B.-Y., Durka, W., Erfmeier, A., Fischer, M., Geißler, C., Guo, D., Guo, L.-D., Härdtle, W., He, J.-S., Hector, A., Kröber, W., Kühn, P., Lang, A. C., Nadrowski, K., Pei, K., Scherer-Lorenzen, M., Shi, X., Scholten, T., Schuldt, A., Trogisch, S., Oheimb, G., Welk, E., Wirth, C., Wu, Y.-T., Yang, X., Zeng, X., Zhang, S., Zhou, H., Ma, K. & Schmid, B., 02.2011, In: Ecological Monographs. 81, 1, p. 25-41 17 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  5. Published

    (Neue) Medien, Partizipation und Nachhaltige Entwicklung

    Lüdecke, G. & Schulz, D., 2011, Nachhaltige Gesellschaft: Welche Rolle für Partizipation und Kooperation?. Heinrichs, H., Kuhn, K. & Newig, J. (eds.). Wiesbaden: VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften, p. 132-151 20 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksContributions to collected editions/anthologiesResearch

  6. Published

    Modellierung der Auswirkungen von Offshore Windenergieanlagen auf die Abiotik in der Nordsee

    Ahrendt, K. & Schmidt, A., 2011, Forschung für ein Integriertes Küstenzonenmanagement: Fallbeispiele Odermündungsregion und Offshore-Windkraft in der Nordsee. Kannen, A., Schernewski, G., Krämer, I., Lange, M., Janßen, H. & Stybel, N. (eds.). Rostock: EUCC – Die Küsten Union Deutschland e.V., p. 45-57 13 p. (Coastline reports; vol. 15).

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksContributions to collected editions/anthologiesResearch

  7. Published

    Steuerung nachhaltiger Entwicklung

    Newig, J. & Voß, J.-P., 2010, Nachhaltigkeit regieren: Eine Bilanz zu Governance-Prinzipien und -Praktiken. Steurer, R. & Trattnigg, R. (eds.). Müchen: Oekom Verlag, p. 239-257 19 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksContributions to collected editions/anthologiesResearch

  8. Published

    Biodegradability of organic nanoparticles in the aqueous environment

    Kümmerer, K., Menz, J., Schubert, T. & Thielemans, W., 03.2011, In: Chemosphere. 82, 10, p. 1387-1392 6 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  9. Published

    Occurrence and distribution of triclosan in the German Bight (North Sea)

    Xie, Z., Ebinghaus, R., Floeser, G., Caba, A. & Ruck, W., 01.12.2008, In: Environmental Pollution. 156, 3, p. 1190-1195 6 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  10. Published

    Impacts of offshore wind farms on sediment structure and the water column during construction, and changes in bottom topography during the operation phase

    Ahrendt, K. & Schmidt, A. S., 2010, Analyzing Coastal and Marine Changes: Offshore Wind Farming as a Case Study: Zukunft Küste - Coastal Futures, Synthesis Report. Lange, M., Burkhard, B., Garthe, S., Gee, K., Kannen, A., Lenhart, H. & Windhorst, W. (eds.). Geesthacht: GKSS-Forschungszentrum Geesthacht , p. 55-62 8 p. (LOICZ Research & Studies; vol. 36).

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksContributions to scientific reportsResearch

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