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Sustainability rooted in science

Nature Geoscience volume 8, pages 741–745 (2015)Cite this article

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The United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals emphasize the importance of evidence-based decision-making. This is a clarion call for Earth scientists to contribute directly to the health, prosperity and well-being of all people.

Through the United Nations, the international policy community has taken bold action to chart a new course for people and the planet by identifying 17 Sustainable Development Goals1 (SDGs), focused on society's most urgent needs (Table 1). These SDGs and the accompanying 169 targets1 define the overarching agenda for international and national action for the coming 15 years. Achievement of the SDGs will be difficult, and scientific knowledge is urgently needed to guide, measure, monitor and attain these goals.

Table 1 The UN Sustainable Development Goals.
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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Elizabeth B. Cerny-Chipman and Jessica N. Reimer are at the Department of Integrative Biology, Jane Lubchenco, Allison K. Barner, Cordley 3029, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon 97331-2914, USA,

    Jane Lubchenco, Allison K. Barner, Elizabeth B. Cerny-Chipman & Jessica N. Reimer

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  1. Jane Lubchenco
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  2. Allison K. Barner
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  3. Elizabeth B. Cerny-Chipman
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  4. Jessica N. Reimer
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Correspondence to Jane Lubchenco.

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Lubchenco, J., Barner, A., Cerny-Chipman, E. et al. Sustainability rooted in science. Nature Geosci 8, 741–745 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1038/ngeo2552

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