Systems thinking for ecological resilience and social justice.
The On Sustainability Research Network brings together researchers, practitioners, policymakers, and community leaders to examine how environmental systems and human societies co-evolve. Member-based and scholar-led, the Network investigates pathways to sustainability that are scientifically grounded, socially just, and pragmatically actionable.
Founded in 2005, the On Sustainability Research Network emerged from the recognition that environmental issues cannot be separated from culture, equity, governance, and lived experience. Its early formation drew on work linking ecological science with social and cultural systems, establishing the Network as a place where sustainability is approached as a multidimensional, human-centered challenge.
Leadership of the Network reflects this interdisciplinary vision. Amareswar (“Amar”) Galla, Founding Chair and Editor (2006–15), brought his UNESCO experience and long-standing work in cultural heritage to foreground the social and ethical dimensions of sustainability. Since 2016, David Humphreys has served as Chair and Editor, strengthening the Network’s ties to global environmental governance, climate policy, and international institutions. José Gutiérrez-Pérez (Universidad de Granada) serves as Spanish Research Network Chair, expanding participation across Europe and Latin America and supporting multilingual engagement.
Since the inaugural meeting at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, the International Conference on Environmental, Cultural, Economic & Social Sustainability has traveled widely, reflecting the diversity of global sustainability concerns. Early gatherings in Hanoi and Ha Long Bay (Vietnam), at the University of Madras in Chennai (India), and Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (Malaysia) brought attention to heritage, development, and environmental justice in the Asia–Pacific. Later conferences at the University of Cuenca (Ecuador), UBC Robson Square (Vancouver, Canada), the International Conference Center (Hiroshima, Japan), the University of Split (Croatia), Historic City Hall (Copenhagen, Denmark), and Portland State University (USA) expanded conversations to resilience, tourism, and urban transitions. More recent hosts—including Fluminense Federal University (Brazil), The Cairns Institute at James Cook University (Australia), the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile and the University of Chile in Santiago (an in-person gathering in 2020), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, the University of Granada, University of Ljubljana, University of Aveiro, and Florida International University—underscore the Network’s global reach and its engagement with both local priorities and planetary challenges.
The On Sustainability Journal Collection—including The International Journal of Environmental Sustainability, The International Journal of Sustainability Policy and Practice, and The International Journal of Social Sustainability in Economic, Social and Cultural Context—provides the Network’s core scholarly platform. The journals publish empirical research, theoretical work, and case studies on climate adaptation, biodiversity, energy transitions, circular and green economies, cultural sustainability, and community resilience, and are indexed in services such as Scopus and EBSCO. The annual On Sustainability International Award for Excellence highlights standout research selected from the highest-ranked peer-reviewed articles, with recent awardees examining topics such as street-vending livelihoods in Dakar, green technology and youth employment in South Africa, Anthropocene landscape archaeology, biomimicry in food systems, and ecological recovery in post-conflict regions.
The On Sustainability Book Imprint supports longer-form research on environmental governance, climate justice, sustainable design, food and energy systems, ecological transitions, and community-led sustainability initiatives. Its Open Access pathways ensure that scholarship reaches policymakers, educators, practitioners, NGOs, and local communities who work directly with sustainability challenges.
The On Sustainability Research Network continues to bring together researchers, educators, policymakers, designers, and community leaders to explore pathways toward more just and resilient futures. Through its global conference, journals, book imprint, and CGScholar community, the Network offers a member-based, scholar-led forum for understanding and shaping the environmental and social transformations of the twenty-first century.
We are thankful for the leadership of the following Research Network Chairs.
Chair, Editor
(2016- )
Founding Chair, Editor
(2006-15)
Current Chair and Editor
The International Conference on Environmental, Cultural, Economic & Social Sustainability has a rich history of featuring leading and emerging voices from the field, including:
Founder & Director, Local Futures, UK
(2005)
President, International Council of Museums, Paris, France
(2006)
Founder, Research Foundation for Science, Technology and Ecology, New Delhi, India
(2006)
Professor, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
(2007)
Co-Founder & Chief Executive, Japan for Sustainability, Tokyo, Japan
(2013)
Professor, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
(2013)
Rector, Kolding School of Design, Kolding, Denmark
(2015)
Senior Environmental Protection Specialist, US Environmental Protection Agency, Washington D.C., USA
(2016)
Professor, Portland State University, Portland, USA
(2016)
Associate Dean, Portland State University, Portland, USA
(2016)
Elected Council, Tsleil Waututh Nation, Canada
Over the years the On Sustainability Research Network has had the pleasure of working with the following organizations:
