As the planet encounters increasing challenges from climate change to global pandemics to an overabundance of waste to social inequities, Arizona State University has set an ambitious agenda to become a world leader among universities in finding and sharing knowledge and solutions that will position the best possible future for our planet and all of its inhabitants to thrive.
Why ASU? We are uniquely positioned to respond swiftly and lead the way, with its dynamic energy, entrepreneurial spirit, quality and commitment to sustainability. That is why it is home to the Julie Ann Wrigley Global Futures Laboratory, the world’s first comprehensive laboratory empowering visionary leaders to unite and create bold actionable ideas for a more prosperous, equitable and resilient planetary future through opportunity, not sacrifice.
ASU and its partners across the globe possess the intellectual assets to advance discovery, spawn innovation, transfer knowledge and transform behaviors to drive impactful applications and practices that help to anticipate the needs and challenges of today and tomorrow. That is also why ASU has been recognized as the most impactful higher education institution in the U.S. in pursuit of reaching the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.
The Global Institute of Sustainability and Innovation is the Global Futures Laboratory’s hub for research and discovery initiatives, advancing research and discovery for an urbanizing world. The College of Global Futures includes the School of Sustainability, the first comprehensive program of its kind in the US, along with the School for the Future of Innovation in Society, the School of Complex Adaptive Systems and the School of Ocean Futures, each offering transdisciplinary degree programs focused on finding practical solutions to the complex environmental, economic, technological and social challenges of today and the future. In addition, The Rob and Melani Walton Sustainability Solutions utilizes the considerable knowledge and research assets housed across ASU to develop scalable applications to solve challenges facing businesses, governments, organizations and people here in Arizona and around the world.
With more than half of the world’s population living in cities, designing resilient and equitable urban centers that exist in balance with our rural communities is key to our futures. That is why the Global Futures Laboratory has identified 14 Focal Areas that are able to work fluidly with each other and across our multiple transdisciplinary centers to explore livability scenarios that can be applied and scaled to other rapidly urbanizing areas around the world. The Global Futures Laboratory is shaping tomorrow, today.
Use these links to review ASU's Sustainability Plan or take an online tour of ASU's Sustainability Points of Pride.