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. 2013
  2. Published

    Subsistenzansatz: Veronika Bennholdt-Thomsen, Maria Mies, Claudia von Werlhof und Vandana Shiva

    Hofmeister, S., 2013, Geschlechterverhältnisse und Nachhaltigkeit: Die Kategorie Geschlecht in den Nachhaltigkeitswissenschaften. Hofmeister, S., Katz, C. & Mölders, T. (eds.). Opladen: Verlag Babara Budrich, p. 123-129 6 p.

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

  3. Published

    Supporting sustainability transitions by enhancing the human dimension via empowerment, social learning and social capital

    Schäpke, N., Omann, I., Mock, M., Wittmayer, J. M. & von Raggamby, A., 2013, Pathways, Transitions and Backcasting for Low-Carbon and Sustainable Lifestyles : SCORAI Europe Workshop Proceedings, SCORAI Europe & InContext Workshop, 7-8 October 2013, Rotterdam, The Netherlands . Quist, J., Wittmayer, J., Umpfenbach, K. & Bauler, T. (eds.). Sustainable Consumption Research and Action Initiative Europe, p. 277-293 17 p. (Sustainable Consumption Transitions Series; vol. 3).

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

  4. Published

    Sustainability Accounting

    Zvezdov, D. & Schaltegger, S., 2013, Encyclopedia of Corporate Social Responsibility. Idowu, S. O., Capaldi, N., Zu, L. & Das Gupta, A. (eds.). Heidelberg, New York: Springer Verlag, p. 2363-2370 8 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksArticles for encyclopediaResearch

  5. Published

    Sustainability Management

    Schaltegger, S., 2013, Encyclopedia of Corporate Social Responsibility. Idowu, S. O., Capaldi, N., Zu, L. & Das Gupta, A. (eds.). Heidelberg, New York: Springer Verlag, p. 2384-2388 5 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksArticles for encyclopediaResearch

  6. Published

    Sustainability-Oriented Innovation

    Hansen, E. G. & Grosse-Dunker, F., 2013, Encyclopedia of Corporate Social Responsibility. Idowu, S. O., Capaldi, N., Zu, L. & Das Gupta, A. (eds.). Heidelberg, New York: Springer Verlag, Vol. Volume 1. p. 2407–2417 11 p.

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

  7. Published

    Sustainable Entrepreneurship

    Schaltegger, S., 2013, Encyclopedia of Corporate Social Responsibility. Idowu, S. O., Capaldi, N., Zu, L. & Das Gupta, A. (eds.). Heidelberg: Springer Verlag, p. 2458-2462 5 p.

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

  8. Published

    Taking stock–Three years of addressing societal challenges on community level through action research: Pilot specific synthesis report

    Wittmayer, J. M., Mock, M., van Steenbergen, F., Baasch, S., Omann, I. & Schäpke, N., 2013, Berlin, 51 p.

    Research output: Working paperProject reportsResearch

  9. Published

    Teamarbeit: Honigbienen können nur gemeinsam mit wildlebenden Insekten die Bestäubung von Kulturpflanzen sichern

    Klein, A.-M., 2013, In: Deutsches Bienen-Journal. 21, 5, p. 12-13 2 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  10. Published

    Technische, betriebswirtschaftliche und rechtlichte Analyse des Einsatzes regionaler virtueller Kraftwerke in der Region Nord: Anwendungsbeispiel Blockstromversorgung bei Schiffen

    Grumm, F., Holstenkamp, L., Maly, C., Mattner, S., Meister, M., Plenz, M., Storjohann, J., Degenhart, H., Schomerus, T. & Schulz, D., 2013, Konferenz für Nachhaltige Energieversorgung und Integration von Speichern - NEIS 2013: Tagungsband. Schulz, D. (ed.). Hamburg: Helmut-Schmidt-Universität, p. 174-181 8 p.

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

  11. Published

    The Discipline of Environmental Management Accounting (EMA): A Bibliometric Literature Review

    Schaltegger, S., Gibassier, D. & Zvezdov, D., 2013, EMAN - EU 2013 Conference MATERIAL FLOW COST A CCOUNTING: CONFERENCE PROCEED INGS. Guenther, E. & Bergmann, A. (eds.). Dresden: TU Dresden, Faculty of Business and Economics, p. 1-5 5 p.

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

  12. Published

    The hidden hand that shapes conceptual understanding: Choosing effective representations for teaching cell division and climate change

    Niebert, K., Riemeier, T. & Gropengießer, H., 2013, Multiple representations in biological education. Tsui, C. Y. & Treagust, D. (eds.). Dordrecht: Springer Verlag, p. 293-310 18 p. (Models and Modeling in Science Education; vol. 7).

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

  13. Published

    The Limits to Voluntary Private Social Standards in Global Agri-food System Governance

    Challies, E., 2013, In: International Journal of Sociology of Agriculture and Food. 20, 2, p. 175-195 21 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  14. Published

    The Manager’s Job at BP: Decision Making and Responsibilities on the High Seas

    Lüdeke-Freund, F. & Zvezdov, D., 2013, In: International Journal of Case Studies in Management. 11, 2, p. 1-32 32 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesEducationpeer-review

  15. Published

    The model of educational reconstruction: A framework for the design of theory-based content specific interventions: The example of climate change

    Niebert, K. & Gropengießer, H., 2013, Educational design research. Plomp, T. & Nieveen, N. (eds.). Enschede: SLO, p. 511-531 21 p.

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

  16. Published

    The Role of Accountants in Controlling Sustainability Information

    Schaltegger, S. & Zvezdov, D., 2013, EMAN-EU 2013 Conference MATERIAL FLOW COST ACCOUNTING: CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS. Guenther, E. & Bergmann, A. (eds.). Dresden: TU Dresden, Faculty of Business and Economics, p. 121-125 5 p.

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

  17. Published

    The role of nesting resources and competition between honey bees and wild bees in the Lüneburger Heath

    Hudewenz, A. & Klein, A.-M., 2013, Building Bridges in Ecology – Linking Systems, Scales and Disciplines: Jahrestagung der Gesellschaft für Ökologie. Gesellschaft für Ökologie, p. 79-80 2 p. (Verhandlungen der Gesellschaft für Ökologie; no. 43).

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

  18. Published

    Thesen zur Förderung nachhaltigen Konsums in Bildungseinrichtungen

    Michelsen, G., Fischer, D. & Homburg, A., 2013, Nachhaltig konsumieren lernen: Ergebnisse aus dem Projekt BINK "Bildungsinstitutionen und nachhaltiger Konsum". Michelsen, G. & Fischer, D. (eds.). 1. ed. Bad Homburg: VAS Verlag für Akademische Schriften, p. 267-272 6 p. (Innovation in den Hochschulen - Nachhaltige Entwicklung; no. 11).

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

  19. Published

    Tod eines Investmentbankers: eine Sittengeschichte der Finanzbranche

    Oermann, N. O., 2013, Freiburg im Breisgau: Herder Verlag. 255 p.

    Research output: Books and anthologiesMonographsResearchpeer-review

  20. Published

    To Own or to Use: How Product Service Systems Impact Firms’ Innovation Behavior

    Tietze, F. & Hansen, E. G., 2013, In: The European Financial Review. 6, 10, p. 53-56 4 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesTransfer

  21. Published

    To Own or to Use? How Product-Service Systems Facilitate Eco-Innovation Behavior

    Tietze, F. & Hansen, E. G., 2013, In: Academy of Management Proceedings. 2013, 1, 1 p., Article no. 12213.

    Research output: Journal contributionsConference abstract in journalResearchpeer-review