Founded in 2001, SustainUS is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization of young people advancing sustainable development and youth empowerment in the United States. Through proactive education and advocacy at the policy-making level and at the grassroots, we are building a future in which all people recognize the inherent equality and interdependence of social, economic, and environmental sustainability. We strive to reflect our values through the diversity of members and projects, our ongoing commitment to educating ourselves and others, and the way we live our lives.

Agents of Change
Each year, the United Nations holds several high-level meetings that directly affect the world that we as young people will inherit. SustainUS offers young people from all over the country the opportunity to take part in these meetings and make their mark on the future through our Agents of Change program.

Citizen Science
Citizen Science, the science and technology program of SustainUS, mobilizes young people to advance scientific approaches to sustainable development. We are committed to raising awareness in the United States of existing and emerging technologies designed to improve economic, social, and environmental conditions for current and future generations. Citizen Science attempts to bring together the many areas of science for a widely diverse, complex, and exciting arena to support the science behind Sustainable Development.

Geoclusters
At the local level, SustainUS members participate in a variety of region based geoclusters. Currently, we have active local groups in Boston, Maine, Minnesota, New York City, Philadelphia, and Washington, DC. We're always on the lookout for people who want to start a new geocluster in their area.

The history of SustainUS is a relatively young and yet a exhilerating testament to the power of youth.

The Idea
At Borgholm, Sweden in May of 2001, a small group of United States youth realized that the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD), or Rio +10, which was billed as the greatest opportunity since the Rio Earth Summit to make progress toward sustainable development, is rapidly approaching. Youth from other countries are already well organized and networked to make their voices heard at the WSSD and its preparatory process. To ensure that youth have a voice, they form the US Youth Planning Group. At a meeting of the group in October in Washington, DC, they reorganized the ever-growing movement into a network of US youth and called it SustainUS. The new network would continue to meet and communicate amongst itself in preparation for the WSSD. In March of 2002, a second youth meeting, the "US Youth Summit on Sustainable Development," attracted over 200 people, representing over 25 NGO's and hailing from over 20 different countries and all over the United States. At the US Youth Summit, SustainUS kicks off its "Bet" campaign with then President George H. W. Bush, in which the youth bet the President that they could conserve 20,000 tons of carbon dioxide as evidenced in pledges by youth. At the same time, another meeting at the UN (Prepcom III) was underway. SustainUS sends a full delegation as an officially accredited organization to the WSSD.

Emergence
After countless hours of tabling, e-mailing, and networking, SustainUS won its Bet with President Bush. Youth carbon dioxide emission savings hit 20,000 tons with less than 48 hours remaining in the ?Bet? period. Nonetheless, Bush failed to attend the WSSD. In August of 2002, over 100 heads of State and 50,000 people attended the WSSD in Johannesburg; President Bush did not. A last ditch effort was made to save the WSSD from the policies that derailed it in preparatory meetings, and some modest progress was made. Still, the WSSD produced a document without meaningful reform of international institutions, commitments to funding research for sustainable development, or time-based commitments by governments on energy, among other things. Despite difficulties, the SusatinUS delegation successfully covered the entire Summit and made crucial contributions to the Youth Caucus, whose statement at the Summit was widely reviewed as the most honest, articulate, and important one given. SustainUS returned home to reorganize and bring the new vision of sustainable development to the United States.

In March of 2003, the Science and Technology Newsletter of SustainUS partners with the International Young Professionals Network to create Symbiosis, a newsletter on sustainable development science and technology for the UN Millenium Development Goals program and the policy community, both young and old. This program would eventually evolve into Citizen Science, one of the two current national programs for SustainUS. In April of 2003, SustainUS sent a full delegation to the 11th Session of the Commission on Sustainable Development in New York. In addition to working closely and effectively with the Youth Caucus, the New York geocluster successfully provided housing for all international youth who requested it - a first in CSD history - helping many delegates stay within their tight budgets. Barely a year later in February of 2004, another delegation would attend the UN Commission for Social Development under the project name ?Agents of Change, the other current national program of SustainUS. Later that year, Agents of Change would send a delegation to the 12th UN Commission on Sustainable development. One year later, another full delegation attended UN CSD-13 through the Agents of Change program, earning high praise from international organizations and the United States delegation to the commission.

SustainUS is now entering an historic era of legitimacy, member empowerment, and change. Throughout it?s rich, young history, SustainUS has established ?geoclusters,? or the building of critical mass that most organizations would consider a ?chapter,? all over the country including in New York City, Washington, DC, Austin, Boston and in the states of Maine and Minnesota. SustainUS is looking to expand the network in all parts of America as to fulfill its mission to represent U.S. youth in sustainable development. The past, present, and future of SustainUS has, and will always, depend on one entity: our members. The passionate, dedicated, and loving youth of American that understand and are committed to sustainability are the rock of this organization.