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. 2016
  2. Published

    Waste Water Reuse and Current Challenges

    Fatta-Kassinos, D. (Editor), Dionysiou, D. D. & Kümmerer, K. (Editor), 2016, Cham: Springer Nature. 261 p. (The Handbook of Environmental Chemistry; vol. 44, no. 1)

    Research output: Books and anthologiesCollected editions and anthologiesResearch

  3. Published

    Welche Freiheit brauchen Unternehmer?

    Dierksmeier, C. & Petersen, H., 2016, In: Forum Wirtschaftsethik. 24, 2, p. 3-8 6 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  4. Published

    Windenergiedrachen – Rechtsfragen bei Installation und Betrieb

    Meister, M., Maly, C. & Schomerus, C.-T., 2016, In: Energierecht : ER Zeitschrift für die gesamte Energierechtspraxis. 5, 04, p. 160-167 8 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearch

  5. Published

    Wirksamkeit eines internet- und smartphone-basierten Dankbarkeitstrainings zur Förderung der gedanklichen Distanzierung von arbeitsbezogenen Problemen –Sekundäranalyse einer randomisiert - kontrollierten Studie

    Heckendorf, H., Lehr, D., Freund, H., Ebert, D. D. & Sieland, B., 2016, State of the Art : Zum Stand der positiv - psycho - logischen Forschung im deutschsprachigen Raum. Deutsche Gesellschaft für Positiv-Psychologische Forschung, p. 23-24 2 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksPublished abstract in conference proceedingsResearch

  6. Published

    Wirksamkeit Internet- und Mobil-basierter Behandlung komorbider Depression bei Diabetes. Ergebnisse einer randomisiert-kontrollierten Studie

    Ebert, D. D., Nobis, S., Lehr, D. & Baumeister, H., 2016, 15. Kongress der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Verhaltensmedizin und Verhaltensmodifikation: Verhaltensmedizin 2.0 - von eHealth zu mHealth - Abstractband. Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz, p. 12 1 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksPublished abstract in conference proceedingsResearch

  7. Published

    Workplace mediation: Lessons from negotiation theory

    Höhne, B., Loschelder, D. D., Gutenbrunner, L., Majer, J. M. & Trötschel, R., 2016, Advancing workplace mediation through integration of theory and practice. Bollen, K., Euwema, M. & Munduate, L. (eds.). Cham: Springer Verlag, p. 67-86 20 p. (Industrial Relations & Conflict Management; vol. 3).

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksContributions to collected editions/anthologiesResearchpeer-review

  8. Published

    Zur Demokratisierung gesellschaftlicher Naturverhältnisse: Warum die Perspektiven der Politischen Ökologie dafür unverzichtbar sind

    Gottschlich, D. & Hackfort, S., 2016, In: Politische Vierteljahresschrift. 57, 2, p. 300-322 23 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsScientific review articlesResearch

  9. Published

    Zwischen Stadt und Land: Hybride Räume verstehen und gestalten

    Mölders, T., Othengrafen, F., Stock, K. & Zibell, B., 2016, StadtLandschaften: Die neue Hybridität von Stadt und Land. Hofmeister, S. & Kühne, O. (eds.). 1 ed. Wiesbaden: Springer VS, p. 37-61 25 p. (Hybride Metropolen).

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

  10. 2015
  11. Published

    Pumpspeicher an Bundeswasserstraßen: Technische, wirtschaftliche und rechtliche Rahmenbedingungen am Beispiel des Elbe-Seitenkanals

    Degenhart, H. (Editor), Schomerus, C.-T. (Editor) & Schulz, D. (Editor), 17.12.2015, Springer Vieweg. 107 p.

    Research output: Books and anthologiesCollected editions and anthologiesResearch

  12. Published

    Polychlorinated Biphenyls in a Temperate Alpine Glacier: 2. Model Results of Chemical Fate Processes

    Steinlin, C., Bogdal, C., Pavlova, P. A., Schwikowski, M., Lüthi, M. P., Scheringer, M., Schmid, P. & Hungerbühler, K., 15.12.2015, In: Environmental Science & Technology. 49, 24, p. 14092-14100 9 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  13. Published

    Tree cover mediates the effect on rapeseed leaf damage of excluding predatory arthropods, but in an unexpected way

    Lemessa, D., Samnegård, U., Hambäck, P. A. & Hylander, K., 15.12.2015, In: Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment. 211, p. 57-64 8 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  14. Published

    UK public perceptions of shale gas hydraulic fracturing: The role of audience, message and contextual factors on risk perceptions and policy support

    Whitmarsh, L., Nash, N., Upham, P., Lloyd, A., Verdon, J. P. & Kendall, J. M., 15.12.2015, In: Applied Energy. 160, p. 419-430 12 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  15. Published

    Multitrophic diversity in a biodiverse forest is highly nonlinear across spatial scales

    Schuldt, A., Wubet, T., Buscot, F., Staab, M., Aßmann, T., Böhnke-Kammerlander, M., Both, S., Erfmeier, A., Klein, A.-M., Ma, K., Pietsch, K., Schultze, S., Wirth, C., Zhang, J., Zumstein, P. & Bruelheide, H., 10.12.2015, In: Nature Communications. 6, 8 p., 10169.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  16. Published

    Living in Heterogeneous Woodlands - Are Habitat Continuity or Quality Drivers of Genetic Variability in a Flightless Ground Beetle?

    Marcus, T., Boch, S., Durka, W., Fischer, M., Gossner, M. M., Müller, J., Schöning, I., Weisser, W. W., Drees, C. & Assmann, T., 07.12.2015, In: PLoS ONE. 10, 12, 18 p., e0144217.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  17. Published

    Lexsyg smart - A luminescence detection system for dosimetry, material research and dating application

    Richter, D., Richter, A. & Dornich, K., 04.12.2015, In: Geochronometria. 42, 1, p. 202-209 8 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  18. Published

    Excavations at Schöningen and paradigm shifts in human evolution

    Conard, N. J., Serangeli, J., Böhner, U., Starkovich, B. M., Miller, C. E., Urban, B. & van Kolfschoten, T., 02.12.2015, In: Journal of Human Evolution. 89, p. 1-17 17 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  19. Published

    Addressing the complexity of water chemistry in environmental fate modeling for engineered nanoparticles

    Sani-Kast, N., Scheringer, M., Slomberg, D., Labille, J., Praetorius, A., Ollivier, P. & Hungerbühler, K., 01.12.2015, In: The Science of The Total Environment. 535, p. 150 - 159 10 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  20. Published

    A three-dimensional framework to explore corporate sustainability activities in the mining industry: Current status and challenges ahead

    Fuisz-Kehrbach, S.-K., 01.12.2015, In: Resources Policy. 46, 1, p. 101-115 15 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  21. Published

    Butterfly communities in miombo woodland: Biodiversity declines with increasing woodland utilisation

    Jew, E. K. K., Loos, J., Dougill, A. J., Sallu, S. M. & Benton, T. G., 01.12.2015, In: Biological Conservation. 192, p. 436-444 9 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  22. Published

    Characterizing the Lower Paleolithic bone industry from Schöningen 12 II: A multi-proxy study.

    Julien, M. A., Hardy, B., Stahlschmidt, M., Urban, B., Serangeli, J. & Conard, N. J., 01.12.2015, In: Journal of Human Evolution. 89, p. 264-286 23 p., 89.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review