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. 2025
  2. 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 contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  3. Published

    Orientation-driven photosynthesized carbon belowground mediates intercropped peanut microbiota changes for pathogen resistance

    Lu, J., Shen, Y., He, G., Li, S., Kumar, A., Sun, B. & Chen, Y., 01.2025, In: Plant and Soil. 506, 1, p. 209-226 18 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  4. 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 contributionsOther (editorial matter etc.)Research

  5. Published

    Water-related problématiques: five archetypical contexts of water governance

    Bilalova, S., Villamayor-Tomas, S. & Newig, J., 01.2025, In: Ecology and Society. 30, 1, 40 p., 10.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  6. Published

    Alles nur ein Kampf? Schüler:innenvorstellungen zu Aspekten der Immunreaktion

    Sowinski, R., Hofer, E. & Abels, S., 2025, In: Zeitschrift für Didaktik der Biologie (ZDB) - Biologie Lehren und Lernen. 30, 1, p. 25-48 24 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  7. Published

    A metacoupling lens on the co-production of nature’s contributions to people: Insights for sustainability

    Mayer, A., Martín-López, B., Locatelli, B., Rabeschini, G., Liu, J., Loos, J., Felipe-Lucia, M. R., Riechers, M. & Isaac, R., 2025, Ecological Horizons: From Nature to People. Dumbrell, A. J. (ed.). Academic Press Inc., p. 91-115 27 p. (Advances in Ecological Research; vol. 72, no. 1).

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksChapterpeer-review

  8. Accepted/In press

    A multi-layered values-based approach to advance social-ecological restoration: Insights from real-world laboratories in Germany

    Gray, K., Loos, J., Martín-López, B., Riechers, M., Kirmer, A. & Cebrián-Piqueras, M., 2025, (Accepted/In press) In: Ambio.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  9. Accepted/In press

    Attitude Without Action-What Really Hinders Ethical Consumption

    Berberyan, Z., Jastram, S. M., Heuer, M., Schnittka, O. & Rosenkranz, J., 2025, (Accepted/In press) In: Journal of Business Ethics.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  10. Accepted/In press

    Author Correction: Artificial intelligence in sustainable development research (Nature Sustainability, (2025), 8, 8, (970-978), 10.1038/s41893-025-01598-6)

    Gohr, C., Rodríguez Aboytes, J. G., Belomestnykh, S., Berg-Moelleken, D., Chauhan, N., Engler, J. O., Heydebreck, L. V., Hintz, M. J., Kretschmer, M.-F., Krügermeier, C., Meinberg, J., Rau, A.-L., Schwenck, C., Aoulkadi, I., Poll, S., Frank, E., Creutzig, F., Lemke, O., Maushart, M., Pfendtner-Heise, J., Rathgens, J. & von Wehrden, H., 2025, (Accepted/In press) In: Nature Sustainability. 1 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsComments / Debate / ReportsResearch

  11. Accepted/In press

    Biological invasions: a global assessment of geographic distributions, long-term trends, and data gaps

    Author collaboration of "Biological invasions: a global assessment of geographic distributions, long-term trends, and data gaps", 2025, (Accepted/In press) In: Biological Reviews.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  12. Accepted/In press

    Blueprint of a smokescreen: Introducing the validated climate disinformation corpus for behavioural research on combating climate disinformation

    Spampatti, T., Brosch, T., Mumenthaler, C. & Hahnel, U. J. J., 2025, (Accepted/In press) In: British Journal of Psychology.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  13. Accepted/In press

    ‘Chains of leverage’ as way to identify and foster transformative potential

    Riechers, M., Schaal-Lagodzinski, T., Pereira, L., Loos, J. & Fischer, J., 2025, (Accepted/In press) In: People and Nature. 12 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  14. Accepted/In press

    Conceptualizing transformative climate action: insights from sufficiency research

    Richard, B., Nathan, B., Andreas, N. & Ernest, A., 2025, (Accepted/In press) In: Climate Policy. 20 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsScientific review articlesResearch

  15. Accepted/In press

    Digitale Gesundheitskompetenz an Schulen. Entwicklung eines Selbstbewertungsinstruments zur Erfassung organisationaler Bedingungen

    Hartmann, A., Fischer, L., Rangnow, P., Stauch, L., Renninger, D., Okan, O. & Dadaczynski, K., 2025, (Accepted/In press) In: Pravention und Gesundheitsforderung.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  16. Accepted/In press

    Disentangling the influence of environmental conditions on sex determination in haplodiploid organisms

    Wittmann, K., Klein, A. M., Pichler, M. & Staab, M., 2025, (Accepted/In press) In: Journal of Animal Ecology.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  17. Accepted/In press

    Empowering Change: A Self-Control Perspective on How Choice Architecture Interventions Can Promote Sustainable Behavior Change

    Engel, L., Kukowski, C. A. & Hahnel, U. J. J., 2025, (Accepted/In press) In: Motivation Science.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  18. Accepted/In press

    Enhancing public participation through social learning and local identity: the case of climate adaptation in small and medium sized municipalities

    Reifenstahl, T., Augenstein, K. & Möller, S., 2025, (Accepted/In press) In: Journal of Environmental Planning and Management.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  19. Published

    Ground beetle fauna of flower strips and forest edges in northern German lowlands’ conventional agricultural landscapes (Coleoptera, Carabidae)

    Grabener, S., Boutaud, E., Drees, C., Gürlich, S., Härdtle, W., Husemann, L., Kubiak, M., Laschke, C. J., Remmers, S., Zumstein, P. & Assmann, T., 2025, In: Biodiversity Data Journal. 13, e161282.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  20. Accepted/In press

    Habitat and land-use intensity shape moth community structure across temperate forest and grassland

    Achury, R., Staab, M., Seibold, S., Müller, J., Heidrich, L., Püls, M., Hacker, H., Fonseca, C. R., Fischer, M., Blüthgen, N. & Weisser, W., 2025, (Accepted/In press) In: Journal of Animal Ecology.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  21. Published
  22. Published

    Implementation of Vocational Education and Training for Sustainable Development Through Cooperation Between Research and Practice

    Hantsch, R. & Hantke, H., 2025, Education for Sustainable Development: The Contribution of Universities. Leal Filho, W., Trevisan, L. V., Pace, P. J. & Mifsud, M. (eds.). Cham: Springer Nature, p. 161-175

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

  23. Published

    Impuls – Wandel kritisch-konstruktiv gestalten lernen: Das neue Modul „Transformation“ im Leuphana Semester

    Picht-Wiggering, L., Bürgener, L., Fischer, D. & Nigro, R., 2025, Interdisziplinäre Bildung für nachhaltige Entwicklung (I-BNE): Beiträge zur zweiten Fachkonferenz 2024 an der Technischen Hochschule Nürnberg Georg Simon Ohm. Humburg, D., Dernbach, B. & Klages, M. (eds.). p. 5-14 10 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksArticle in conference proceedingsEducation

  24. Accepted/In press

    Inner Development Goals zur Erreichung der Sustainable Development Goals – Ein Self-Assessment als Reflexionsanlass zum Einsatz in transformativen Lernprozessen

    Hantke, H. & Lorch, A., 2025, (Accepted/In press) Klimawandel und Bildung – Interdisziplinäre Grundlagen und didaktische Impulse. Pijetlovic, D. & von Au, J. (eds.). München

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

  25. Accepted/In press

    Inter- und transdisziplinäre Forschungsprojekte als Ansatz für eine transformative Hochschulbildung

    Bürgener, L. & Meyer, S., 2025, (Accepted/In press) Didaktik der Interdisziplinären Hochschullehre. Braßler, M., Lerch, S. & Brandstädter, S. (eds.).

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

  26. Submitted

    Inter- und Transdisziplinarität

    Weiser, A., Bürgener, L., Steinbrügge, F. & Lang, D. J., 2025, (Submitted) Bildung für nachhaltige Entwicklung.

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

  27. Published

    Klimabildung für alle?! Gemeinsames Lernen an naturwissenschaftlichen Kontexten zum Klimawandel

    González, L. F., Fühner, L., Menthe, J. & Abels, S., 2025, Handbuch Klimabildung. Höttecke, D., Heinicke, S., Martens, H., Nehring, A. & Rabe, T. (eds.). Wiesbaden: Springer VS, p. 501-525 24 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksChapterpeer-review

  28. Published

    Kollaboratives Forschen und Lernen im Prozess bildungsbezogener Arbeit

    Hantke, H. & Hantsch, R., 2025, In: berufsbildung - Zeitschrift für Theorie-Praxis-Dialog. 1/2025, 205

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesTransferpeer-review

  29. Accepted/In press

    Losers and winners: responses of grassland arthropods to land-use components

    Hartlieb, M., Staab, M., Berger, J. L., Achury, R., Gossner, M. M., Seibold, S., Weisser, W. W. & Blüthgen, N., 2025, (Accepted/In press) In: Oikos.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  30. Accepted/In press

    Measuring the semantic priming effect across many languages

    Author Collaboration of "Measuring the semantic priming effect across many languages", Buchanan, E. M., Heyman, T., van Berkel, N., Coles, N. A., Sevincer, A. T., Tschense, M. & Wallot, S., 2025, (Accepted/In press) In: Nature Human Behaviour.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  31. Accepted/In press

    Methodological and empirical insights from gender vulnerability and adaptation responses to climate change in South Asia–a systematic review

    Choudhary, A., Ajgaonkar, H., Chauhan, N., Kaechele, H. & Joshi, P. K., 2025, (Accepted/In press) In: Climate and Development.

    Research output: Journal contributionsScientific review articlesResearch

  32. Published

    Mostly harmless econometrics? Statistical paradigms in the ‘top five’ from 2000 to 2018

    Engler, J. O., Beeck, J. J. & von Wehrden, H., 2025, In: Journal of Economic Methodology. 32, 1, p. 14-32 19 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  33. Accepted/In press

    Negotiating With Yourself and Winning: The Dual Commitment Model for Intrapersonal Sustainability Goal Conflicts

    Sevincer, A. T., Majer, J. M. & Trötschel, R., 2025, (Accepted/In press) In: Motivation Science.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  34. Published

    On-farm compost and parsley residues extract use on organic fennel crop to improve agronomic performance and environmental sustainability

    Diacono, M., Fiore, A., Di Bene, C., Farina, R., Trinchera, A., Li, J., Geelen, D., Pleissner, D., Almendinger, M., Montemurro, F. & Persiani, A., 2025, In: Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems. 49, 5, p. 615-640 26 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  35. Accepted/In press

    Participatory mapping of local people's values in restoration landscapes in Western Rwanda

    Ndayizeye, G., Kmoch, L., Baumann, M., Nsengimana, V., Fischer, J. & Plieninger, T., 2025, (Accepted/In press) In: Restoration Ecology. 13 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  36. Published

    Pathways to synergize reductive with relational logics in environmental policy

    Pérez-Hämmerle, K. V., Moon, K., Raymond, C. M., Lucas, P., Hakkarainen, V. & Wood, P., 2025, In: Ecosystems and People. 21, 1, 20 p., 2529585.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  37. Published

    Planting futures: School-based food forests and their contribution to holistic education for sustainable development

    Gobs, J., 2025, In: GAIA - Ecological Perspectives for Science and Society. 34, 2, p. 97-105 9 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  38. Accepted/In press

    Psychological intervention in individuals with subthreshold depression: individual participant data meta-analysis of treatment effects and moderators

    Author Collaboration of "Psychological intervention in individuals with subthreshold depression: individual participant data meta-analysis of treatment effects and moderators", Harrer, M., Sprenger, A. A., Illing, S., Adriaanse, M. C., Albert, S. M., Allart, E. & Lehr, D., 2025, (Accepted/In press) In: British Journal of Psychiatry. 14 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsScientific review articlesResearch

  39. Published
  40. Published
  41. Accepted/In press

    Sampling and processing of climate change information and disinformation across three diverse countries

    Rahmani Azad, Z., Spampatti, T., Gluth, S., Tam, K. P. & Hahnel, U. J. J., 2025, (Accepted/In press) In: British Journal of Psychology.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  42. Published

    Self-consumption and self-sufficiency in energy sharing communities in Germany: What is the impact of wind energy?

    Wiesenthal, J., 2025, In: IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science. 1532, 1, 012002.

    Research output: Journal contributionsConference article in journalResearchpeer-review

  43. Published

    Structure and dynamics of secondary and mature rainforests: insights from South Asian long-term monitoring plots

    Murali, A., Kasinathan, S., Bhat, K., Ratnam, J., Sankaran, M., Mudappa, D., Raman, T. R. S. & Osuri, A. M., 2025, In: Plant Ecology and Diversity. 18, 1-2, p. 55-67 13 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  44. Accepted/In press

    The tree growth–herbivory relationship depends on functional traits across forest biodiversity experiments

    Li, Y., Schuldt, A., Bauhus, J., Belluau, M., Berthelot, S., Burghardt, K. T., Bruelheide, H., Castagneyrol, B., Chu, C., Eisenhauer, N., Ferlian, O., Fründ, J., Gebauer, T., Gravel, D., Jactel, H., Li, S., Liang, Y., Parker, J. D., Parker, W. C., Scherer-Lorenzen, M., Staab, M., Verheyen, K., Schmid, B., Ma, K. & Liu, X., 2025, (Accepted/In press) In: Nature Ecology and Evolution.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  45. Accepted/In press

    Thinking Beyond the Bargaining Table: Negotiators’ Perceptions, Behaviours and Outcomes in Negotiations Affecting External Parties

    Zhang, K., Zhang, H., Aaldering, H., Majer, J. M. & Trötschel, R., 2025, (Accepted/In press) In: European Journal of Social Psychology. 19 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  46. Accepted/In press

    Towards Authentic Engagement with Indigenous Peoples: Lessons from Negotiated Agreements in the Pilbara, Western Australia

    Benkert, J., Eversole, R. & Dembek, K., 2025, (Accepted/In press) In: Business and Society. 32 p., 00076503251376892.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  47. Accepted/In press

    Towards self-sufficiency: a socio-technical model to identify the transition pathways to flexible prosumers and the role of policy mixes

    van der Kam, M., Lagomarsino, M., Parra, D. & Hahnel, U. J. J., 2025, (Accepted/In press) In: Sustainability Science. 19 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  48. 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 anthologiesMonographsResearchpeer-review

  49. Accepted/In press

    Unravelling deep roots in drylands: A systems thinking participatory approach to the SDGs

    Aguiar, A. P. D., Collste, D., Cortés-Calderón, S., Sonetti-González, T., Alves-Martins, M., Castro, A. J., Diallo, A., Eriksson, K. M., Goffner, D., Harmáčková, Z. V., Jiménez-Aceituno, A., López-Rodríguez, M. D., Mancilla-García, M., Olofsson, V., Perez-Marin, A., Silva-Bezerra, F. G., Sinare, H. & Stragier, C., 2025, (Accepted/In press) In: Global Sustainability. 8

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  50. Published

    Wie kann die Nationale Strategie zur biologischen Vielfalt 2030 zu einem transformativen Wandel beitragen?

    Zinngrebe, Y., Cardona Santos, E. M., Brand, U., Hauck, J., Hickmann, T., Hagedorn, G., Henn, E. V., Lakner, S., Lam, D. P. M., Mehring, M., Paulsch, A., Schmid, S., Tschersich, J., Zedda, L. & Wittmer, H., 2025, In: Natur und Landschaft. 100, 1, p. 16-25 10 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  51. Published

    Zur völker- und verwaltungsrechtlichen Einordnung der zivilen Seenotrettung

    Schatz, V. J. & Epik, A., 2025, Archiv des Völkerrechts. Vol. 62. p. 445-465

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksChapter

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