A future where all people and nature thrive with dignity
Our mission is to build an organization for shared, integrated, and globally flourishing professional practice and research for sustainability. We are guided and inspired by the vision of a future where all people and nature can thrive with dignity. The organization is founded on these shared values:
Respect for, valuing, and engagement with multiple ways of knowing
Transcending disciplinary boundaries and professional silos
Serving the public good
Multi-directional learning
Focus on design, assessment, and evaluation of interventions, solutions, options, and claims
Intentionally diverse, equitable, and inclusive in society and our work
Aspire to just transitions and transformations
Transparent democratic governance
Creativity and innovation
Activities
Networking & Inclusion - The NSS will serve as an organizational structure to support and sustain interactions within a multi-disciplinary and multi-sectoral community. The culture of the organization, based on our stated values, will aim toward an inclusive and supportive community structure.
Research - The NSS will serve as a forum for sharing, evaluating, and disseminating fundamental and applied research in sustainability science, through professional meetings, research publications, and other organized activities that advance knowledge in the field.
Education - The NSS will facilitate a coordinated national strategy to develop educational standards and advance the professionalization of the field.
Information Sharing - The NSS will mobilize resources and collective action to facilitate exchanges of sustainability practices and experiences through a variety of mechanisms, including case studies, dissemination of effective practices, professional development events, and online platforms for sharing.
Capacity Development - The NSS will facilitate building capacity to collaborate, integrate and elevate our individual strengths into a collective action, and for respecting and honoring multiple ways of thinking, knowing, and acting in the world.
Professional Recognition - NSS will recognize individuals and groups who have made outstanding contributions to the advancement of the understanding of sustainability as a scholarly field as well as contributing to a community of practice. Awards will recognize transformative, collaborative leadership that centers community engagement.
Assessment, Evaluation & Standards - A national organization of scientific and practitioner professionals is well-positioned to provide neutral ground for the establishment of standards and the assessment and evaluation of practices related to sustainability transitions.
Advocacy - The NSS will advocate for the establishment, maintenance, and strengthening of sustainability and sustainability-related programs at institutions of higher learning. NSS professional staff, members, and executive council/advisory board may serve as external evaluators or recommend external evaluators for sustainability programs.
Policy Engagement - The NSS will assess, evaluate, make recommendations and, when necessary, advocate for policies that are relevant to sustainability.
Ethics - The NSS will facilitate a common commitment to professional ethics and standards of practice that will help sustainability professionals play a role in steering our society toward a shared vision of sustainability that brings greatest benefit to the most people and the environment.