Worldwatch Institute

The Worldwatch Institute has stated that it is “dedicated to fostering the evolution of an environmentally sustainable and socially just society, where human needs are met in ways that do not threaten the health of the natural environment or the prospects of future generations.” It describes itself as “an independent, globally focused environmental and social policy research organization” with a “unique blend of interdisciplinary research and accessible writing.” Worldwatch is essentially a think tank, with its closest environmental movement analogues being Resources for the Future, the World Resources Institute, and the Earth Policy Institute. The latter is headed by Lester Brown, who founded Worldwatch in 1974, and served as its president through 2000. Worldwatch’s current executive director is Robert Engelman, a former environmental reporter and a founder of the Society of Environmental Journalists.

Worldwatch prides itself on its accessible writing style and its fact-based analysis of critical global issues. It focuses on the underlying causes of these issues and seeks, through education and dissemination of information, to inspire people to act in positive ways. A search of its Website shows large numbers of publications related to climate change, which it has addressed in its publications since at least 1984. Worldwatch Reports (formerly Worldwatch Papers), one of its signature publications, has sought to educate the public regarding “pressing economic, environmental, and social issues” since 1975. Since 1984, Worldwatch has published State of the World, a widely read and influential annual report; the 2009 volume, “Into a Warming World,” focused on climate change. 

Although Worldwatch does not lobby Congress directly, this comprehensive report is read by legislators as well as world leaders, students, and ordinary individuals and has been translated into 25 languages. In 1992, Vital Signs: The Trends That Are Shaping Our Future was first published. It was designed to be an accessible, annual series with brief entries on more than 50 issues that affect the world each year. From 1988 to 2010, the group published a bimonthly magazine, World Watch. Many of those articles, along with summaries of current Worldwatch research and blogs, and a subscription service to Vital Signs Online are available on the Institute’s Website.

Worldwatch is not a one-issue organization, having written about a very wide range of environmental issues including energy, water pollution and water availability, soil erosion and other agricultural concerns, population, biodiversity, materials recycling and conservation, forests, and toxic materials. However, it seeks to foster recognition that these issues are inextricably tied to issues of social justice and peace. It began paying consistent attention to the relationship between social and environmental issues, particularly in international settings, much earlier than most environmental organizations. It began calling attention to the need for a sustainable society in at least 1982, five years before sustainability began to gain widespread attention with the publication of the Brundtland Commission report, Our Common Future.

The institute’s three major program areas are food and agriculture, environment and society, and climate and energy. Projects as of 2011 included providing research and policy advice in the following areas: low-carbon, economic development strategies; environmental and climate impacts of new natural gas reserves and extraction methods; status reports on renewable energy and energy efficiency; security implications of transitioning to low-carbon technologies; climate and energy challenges in India and China; connecting green industry and sustainability advocates with policymakers via its New Economy Council; and ReVolt, a blog on international climate and energy policy. Current research publications include findings from the World Nuclear Industry Status Report, focusing on the effects of the nuclear industry on climate change, and a report on the interrelation and correlation between climate change, population, and women’s lives.

A desire to inspire change in societal attitudes and actions from a grassroots perspective is a hallmark of this organization. It seeks to effect change, not by force from the top, but by educating the public and thereby inspiring them to demand change. It carries on this vision with 26 staff members.