Past Projects
During the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD), the U.S.
National Academies, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the
American Chemistry Council announced a new partnership to promote
sustainable development through better use of scientific knowledge in
policy and program decisions.
The U.S. National Academies are planning a multi-year, multi-country
initiative to address one of the central challenges and opportunities
of the 21st century—the use of science and
technology to help transform rapidly urbanizing regions of the
developing world into "sustainable cities"
Virtually all of the world's population growth over the next
30 years will be added to cities in developing countries. This year,
for the first time in human history, more people will be living in
cities than will be living in rural areas. In the next few decades,
China and other developing countries will invest billions of dollars to
accommodate their expanding urban populations and support economic
growth. The challenges faced by these countries include meeting rising
energy demands, providing clean water, and protecting public health
without compromising environmental quality. Urbanization already has
significantly transformed landscapes, affected natural resources, and
altered the way billions of people live, and cities will continue to
have critical roles to play as engines for economic growth and as major
agents of environmental change, whether negative or positive. With wise
investments in science and technology, urban leaders and residents will
be much more able to make the transition toward urban sustainability.
On November 12, 2004 the National Academies' Science and Technology for Sustainability Program hosted a
planning meeting titled "Scientific and Technical Input for the
Revision of the World Bank Group's Pollution Prevention and Abatement
Handbook." The goal of the one-day workshop was to scope out possible
approaches to designing an expert input and/or review process for the
new edition of the World Bank Group's Pollution Prevention and
Abatement Handbook. The small workshop involved international and US
experts on the incorporation of technology into development
investments, and included the presentation of background on
the current Handbook revision process.
The National Academies' Federal Sustainability Research and Development Forum
The Roundtable on Science and Technology for Sustainability held a workshop ("forum") on October 17-18, 2007. Forum participants discussed
research gaps, needed analytical tools, and opportunities for collaboration among federal
research and development programs focused on selected high priority challenges to
sustainability in the areas of biofuels and ecosystem services.
