Climate change, pollution, environmental degradation, biodiversity loss and inequality, each of these issues increasingly impact our daily lives. Sustainability is a broad term that covers all these issues but finding reputable sustainability resources can take time.
In response, we have compiled this list of reputable sources that include global organisations, official government bodies, scientific news websites, non-profit organisations, universities, academics and well-respected experts.
Sustainability Resources
It can be overwhelming when thinking about all the issues and problems we face. These resources provide you with the opportunity to learn from experts in a range of sustainability fields. Take your time to read through the areas that interest you the most. Some are highly technical while others cover the basics.
The following resources are listed in no particular order so you might like to have a quick scan through them before digging deeper.
News Sources
1. Grist – The focus of Grist is solutions to climate and justice issues. Some of their best articles are about urban sustainability and achieving a just transition. Housing, transportation and extreme weather are other valuable topics.
2. Science Daily – A great resource for discovering the latest scientific research and science news. There are many topics available but the environment section is particularly useful and includes climate research, global warming and other environmental science topics. Science Daily is a reputable scientific resource.
3. Scientific American – At Scientific American, you’ll find a great range of in-depth environmental topics that include climate change, ecology, pollution, renewable energy, fossil fuels and oceans.
4. The Conversation – One of the most well-respected news organisations, articles at The Conversation are written by academics who are experts in their field. Articles are focused on peer-reviewed research that cover all areas of our lives but the environment and energy sections are particularly relevant.
5. Bloomberg CityLab – Excellent content if you’re interested in the latest urban sustainability news. Some articles are free while others are behind a paywall.
6. Earth.org – Quality information, data and solutions to environmental and sustainability issues. Covers biodiversity, climate change, energy, pollution, politics and sustainable living.
7. Yale360 – High-quality, in-depth articles concerning the global environment. Unique reporting from Yale University that covers important environmental and social issues.
Climate Change
8. IPCC – The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is the ultimate resource for detailed climate change science. You can read the summary reports for an excellent overview but you can dig deeper to find the research and data behind the reports.
9. EPA – The United States Environmental Protection Agency is a user-friendly resource for climate change science basics and facts.
10. Climate.gov – Climate.gov has many useful maps, data and the excellent Climate Dashboard.
11. NASA – The latest data from NASA tracks carbon dioxide levels, global temperature, arctic sea ice extent, ice sheets, sea levels and ocean warming.
12. Daily CO2 – A daily record of the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
13. Sea Level Rise Viewer – View the impact of selected levels of sea-level rise.
International Organisations
14. Sustainable Development Goals – The 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Targets and actions to address global sustainability, adopted by all UN member states in 2015.
15. UN Climate Change – A global network of 197 countries dedicated to achieving the climate goals set out in the Paris Agreement in 2015, namely keeping global warming to 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial levels. Here you can find information on climate change action, mitigation, adaptation and the science behind it.
16. UNEP – The UN Environment Program. Focus on sustainable development and advocating for the global environment. They address the root causes of climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution and waste.
17. IUCN – The International Union for Conservation of Nature. Regional information on biodiversity, ecosystem degradation, threatened species and solutions to the biodiversity crisis.
18. UN-Habitat – A UN organisation that addresses the challenges of urbanisation and sustainable development. They publish important information on urban resilience, gender, housing, human rights, urban regeneration, transport and urban planning.
19. C40 Cities – A network of mayors who are collaborating to mitigate and adapt to climate change in 100 partner cities. The focus is on reducing greenhouse gas emissions in our cities and creating green and just cities. This is a good resource if you’re interested in climate action on the local, city scale.
20. NOAA – National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. A US organisation with information and data on pollution, plastic waste, ocean degradation, marine life and extreme weather.
Energy & Decarbonisation
21. Rewiring America – An electrification not-for-profit organisation behind the electrify everything movement. The objective is to reduce emissions in the home through electrification of appliances, heating, cooling and energy efficiency measures and clean energy.
22. Energy Star – A useful sustainability resource for finding energy-efficient appliances. The site provides the ability to search for rebates and tax credits that may be available through home improvements and appliance transitions.
23. Climate Works – Climate solutions to transition to a net-zero emissions environment. Focused on industry, corporate and building transitions towards sustainability and decarbonisation.
24. Sustainability Victoria – Although Australia-focused, Sustainability Victoria provides comprehensive, practical advice for making our homes and lives more sustainable.
Sustainable Living
25. Ecological Footprint Calculator – Take the quiz to determine your personal overshoot day and the areas where you can improve as an individual or household.
26. Regeneration – Regeneration promotes actions and climate solutions for individuals (and others) to mitigate and adapt to climate change. Interesting topics include eating plants, wildlife gardening for pollinators, palm oil, regenerative agriculture, heat pumps and seaforestation.
27. Project Drawdown – A very user-friendly and accessible resource that covers the basics of climate change and potential solutions. Solutions for every sector are included with active transport, cement alternatives, home retrofitting, electric cars, energy efficiency, insulation, plant-based diets and walkable cities all being covered to help the transition towards sustainable living.
28. Good On You – Ethical consumption and sustainable fashion brand ratings.
29. Sustainable Gardening – Australian website dedicated to sustainable gardening that includes factsheets on universal topics like composting, no-dig gardening, organic pest control and the sustainable use of water in the garden.
We expect to add to this list of resources over time and we’re happy to hear your suggestions for future additions.
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