The PoleStar Project advances appropriate methods for sustainable development analysis. Sustainable development seeks to reconcile environmental, social, and economic dimensions of development, taking into account the needs of both present and future generations. This requires a broad view that encompasses an array of issues, multiple spatial scales, and a long time horizon. Named after the star that guided voyagers through uncharted waters, PoleStar was launched in 1991 to address this challenge.
PoleStar is applied at community, national, and regional levels. Additionally, in an increasingly connected world, the global perspective becomes critical. Therefore, the Global Scenario Group (GSG) was established in 1995 as an international initiative to address long-range global futures and identify actions for sustainability. Scenarios were quantified using the PoleStar software and used in numerous global studies including UNEP’s Global Environment Report series, the U.S. National Academy of Sciences’ Board on Sustainable Development report Our Common Journey, the World Water Vision and the OECD Environmental Outlook.
The GSG’s research program continues through an expanded effort called the Great Transition Initiative, that takes the GSG scenarios as a point of departure in an effort to widely share a vision of hope and generate greater unity among global citizens.