Its status as a land grant, sea grant, and urban grant institution highlights its traditions of natural resource, marine, and urban related research. Participants in the Essex Workshop recognized the moral responsibility of institutions of higher education to increase the awareness, knowledge, skills and values needed to create a just and sustainable future. As one of the signatories of the Talloires Declaration, the University of Rhode Island recognizes its responsibility to promote the principles of sustainability. The concept of sustainability has emerged as a response to the need to reconcile the rapid growth in human societies and their activities with the resources of a living and finite planet. We are frequently reminded of the impacts of overpopulation, excessive consumption, and pollution.
Sustainability focuses on the vital questions of how humanity can continue to thrive on Earth.
Higher education systems have a key role to play as they prepare those who will develop and manage the world's institutions and teach future generations environmental awareness and social responsibility. These issues cross disciplinary boundaries. The URI community must address a critical educational need so that our students and community have the skills and understanding to promote and ensure the principles of a just and sustainable society. The foundation for a sustainability initiative is implicitly interdisciplinary. The sustainable development initiative will engage individuals who represent the arts and literature, the social sciences, the natural sciences, philosophy, economics, community planning and landscape architecture, engineering and health, among others.