Sustainability Science
Research at Leuphana's School of Sustainability analyzes the causes of pressing sustainability problems and develops solutions to achieve sustainable development. Our research is based on solid disciplinary foundations and is enhanced by inter- and transdisciplinary approaches at the highest international level. Leuphana's sustainability science research aims to create process competence in order to develop effective solutions in the real world that transcend geographical and societal scales. Our goal is to contribute to the establishment of a society and economy that operate within the safe operating space of planetary boundaries, ensuring the well-being of both living and inanimate nature.
The research focus of the School of Sustainability can be divided into two natural science and two social science areas, as well as a methodological-transdisciplinary area.
From a natural scientific perspective, achieving sustainable development depends on remaining within planetary boundaries. Therefore, our research focuses on sustainable (re)design of resource use, materials, and their flows, as well as the regeneration of ecosystems and biodiversity.
Our social scientific research analyzes and develops designs for sustainability transformations, that address both the macro-level of governments and society, and the micro-level of organisational and individual behaviour.
By integrating natural and social sciences, we foster problem- and solution-driven research. While rooted in disciplinary foundations, our inter- and transdisciplinary approach enables the analysis of causes, dynamics and impacts of key sustainability problems. This research approach facilitates the development of solutions that resonate across geographical and societal scales, aiming to foster sustainability transformations at all levels.
Planetary ecological boundaries of humanity: animate and inanimate nature
What are the scientific limits of humanity and how can they be respected? From a scientific point of view, achieving sustainable development depends on remaining within planetary boundaries. This requires a sustainable (re)design of resource use, materials and their flows as well as the regeneration of ecosystems and biodiversity. This results in the following two sustainability science research areas:
Sustainability transformations at the individual, organizational and societal level
How can sustainability transformations be achieved at an individual, organizational, country and societal level? From a social science perspective, sustainability transformations are essential both at the macro level of state and society and at the micro level of the behavior of organizations and individuals in order to achieve sustainable development. This results in the following two sustainability social science research areas:
Inter- and transdisciplinary methods to developing effective solutions
This methodologically oriented research area deals with the cooperation of natural and social sciences as well as the integration of practical actors and organization and thus promotes problem-oriented analysis and the develpoment of effective solutions. It builds on disciplinary foundations and enables us to analyze the complex causes, dynamics and impacts of key sustainability issues.
The common goal of our sustainability science research is to contribute to the creation of a society and economy that operates within planetary boundaries and ensures the well-being of animate and the protection of inanimate nature.
To the professorships of the school of sustainability.
An overview of the research projects carried out at the School of Sustainability can be found in our research information system.
Centre for Sustainability Management (CSM)
Institute of Ecology (IE)
Institute of Ethics and Transdisciplinary Sustainability Research (IETSR)
Institute of Sustainability Psychology (ISP)
Institute of Sustainable Chemistry (INSC)
Institute of Sustainability Governance (INSUGO)
Social-Ecological Systems Institute (SESI)
Sustainability Education and Transdisciplinary Research Institute (SETRI)
UNESCO Chair "Higher Education for Sustainable Development"
planned: Institute of Sustainability Material Flows and Circularity
Further information about the School of Sustainability are available here.