Sustainability at APS
Support for U. N. Sustainable Development Goals
APS supports the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and the SDG Publisher's Compact. APS Chief Publications Officer Rachel Burley was named an SDG Fellow in 2023, demonstrating a dedication to sustainable practices and disseminating research on sustainability, including:
- Quality education, presented in our Physical Review Physics Education Research journal
- Affordable and clean energy, showcased in PRX Energy, which publishes research toward sustainable energy targets
- Industry, innovation, and infrastructure, explored in Physical Review Applied, which bridges the gaps between engineering and physics as well as academia and industry
Research highlights
Recent highlights from PRX Energy articles that focus on sustainability:
- Discontinuous Jump Behavior of the Energy Conversion in Wind Energy Systems (2023)
PRX Energy 2, 033009 - How to Characterize Emerging Luminescent Semiconductors with Unknown Photophysical Properties (2023)
PRX Energy 2, 022001 - Oxygen-Redox Activity in Non-Lithium-Excess Tungsten-Doped LiNiO2 Cathode (2023)
PRX Energy 2, 013005 - Multilayer Capacitances: How Selective Contacts Affect Capacitance Measurements of Perovskite Solar Cells (2022)
PRX Energy 1, 013003 - Complexity and Persistence of Price Time Series of the European Electricity Spot Market (2022)
PRX Energy 1, 013002
Sustainable initiatives at APS
Our initiatives further the sustainability of the physics community and the planet in ways that align with the SDG Compact goals of quality education, gender equality, reduced inequalities, affordable and clean energy, and climate action.
Quality education
Our physics education initiatives advance quality education by supporting physics departments, faculty, and K-12 teachers, as well as public engagement efforts to encourage a passion for physics in students and the public.
Gender equality and reduced inequalities
To support our values of diversity, inclusion, and respect, we support an array of programs aimed at rectifying historic inequities in physics by advancing the education and careers of women and gender minorities, as well as those of Black, Indigenous, and Latino scientists.
The Gender Inclusive Physics Community helps women and gender minority students connect and advance in their studies and careers.
NMC provides mentoring and resources for historically underrepresented physics undergrads and graduate students.
Funding activities and events to recruit and retain women in physics at the undergraduate level
This scholarship supports African American students seeking bachelor's degrees in physics and astronomy.
Affordable clean energy and climate action
The APS mission highlights our charge to advance scientific discovery and research dissemination, as well as to amplify the voice for science and communicate the essential role physics plays in today's world. Work in support of our mission includes advancing affordable, clean energy and climate action through our data-driven reports, statements, initiatives, public policy efforts, and our topical groups.
APS reports
The APS Panel on Public Affairs has compiled reports focused on sustainability and that guide our public policy and advocacy efforts.
This report describes how, for methane emission regulation to be most effective, it should specifically target the small portion of leaks that are major emitters.
This report lays out the issues facing researchers who use liquid helium and the negative impact on US innovation.
Statements on clean energy and climate action
The APS Council of Representatives regularly issues statements that shape the public policy positions of the organization and inform our advocacy efforts, including those related to affordable clean energy and climate action.
Engaging the public
Our public engagement initiatives help scientists reach and inform the public about the science behind Earth's changing climate.
Physicists fill in Wikipedia’s gaps on climate science.
This program equips physicists with the skills necessary to address science misinformation.
Climate and sustainability efforts
We're working to advance climate science and sustainability by providing our members with opportunities to meet and connect in support of their work.
We advocate for national standards to monitor methane emissions, which will enable effective industry action and data-driven methane reduction policies.
This member-organized APS unit advances knowledge concerning the physics, measurement, and modeling of climate processes.
GERA fosters connections among physicists, engineers, and educators active in the generation, transmission, storage, and efficient use of energy.
Related
APS publications are a trusted source of peer-reviewed research, in-depth articles, current news, and topical commentary about physics and its place in the world.
We're committed to fostering a welcoming physics community where everyone passionate about science can succeed.
Explore APS initiatives and join our efforts to strengthen the global physics community.
APS advances and diffuses and knowledge of physics to benefit humanity.