The following organisations sponsor DIVERSITAS and therefore bioSUSTAINABILITY.

Sponsors

International Council for Science (ICSU)

Founded in 1931, the International Council for Science (ICSU) is a non-governmental organization representing a global membership that includes both national scientific bodies (101 members) and international scientific unions (27 members). Through this international network, ICSU coordinates interdisciplinary research to address major issues of relevance to both science and society. In addition, the Council actively advocates for freedom in the conduct of science, promotes equitable access to scientific data and information, and facilitates science education and capacity building.

ICSU played a fundamental role in establishing several global environmental change research programmes with whom DIVERSITAS collaborates closely, including the International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme (IGBP), the International Human Dimensions Programme on Global Environmental Change (IHDP), and the World Climate Research Programme (WCRP).

International Union of Biological Sciences (IUBS)

Established in 1919, the International Union of Biological Sciences (IUBS) promotes the study of biological sciences on the international scale. Over the years, IUBS has been actively engaged in modern biological disciplines such as evolutionary biology, genetics, cell biology, ecology and developmental biology and has created various scientific programmes of a multidisciplinary nature: Decade of the Tropics, Bioindicators, Biological Complexity and Biological Diversity. More recently, IUBS has established Programmes related to Biosystematics, Species 2000, Bionomenclature, Reproductive Biology, and Aquaculture.

International Union of Microbiological Societies (IUMS)

The International Union of Microbiological Societies (IUMS) was founded in 1927. Their major activities include the classification and nomenclature of bacteria, fungi and viruses, food microbiology, medical microbiology and diagnostics, culture collections, education, and biological standardization. Within the DIVERSITAS scientific programmes, IUMS contributes to broadening the understanding of microbial diversity.

Scientific Committee on Problems of the Environment (SCOPE)

SCOPE was established in 1969. Its scientific programme consists of projects focused on the concepts and practices of sustainability: maintaining the life-support system of humankind by safeguarding the natural resources over time. Its aim is to contribute to designing processes and practices that reduce the depletion rate of non-renewable resources, identify substitute resources, and assure a sustainable supply of renewable resources. SCOPE projects are organized within three clusters: Managing Societal and Natural Resources; Ecosystem Processes & Biodiversity; Health and Environment. SCOPE and DIVERSITAS are currently co-developing a new project on Biodiversity, Health and the Environment.

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)

Recognising that DIVERSITAS provides a platform for addressing biodiversity within a coordinated research programme, UNESCO has sponsored the programme since its inception. One of the most important avenues of collaboration between the two organisations is through UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere Programme (MAB), which addresses conflicts between environment and development issues involving terrestrial and coastal natural resources. Specifically, MAB focuses on the biological diversity of land and coastal regions, including in soils, marine and aquatic sediments. MAB initiatives focus on economic development that is culturally, socially and ecologically sustainable - criteria that complement bioSUSTAINABILITY.