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Our Story

SETAC was founded in the late 1970s to be a forum for interdisciplinary communication among environmental scientists – biologists, chemists, toxicologists – as well as managers and engineers and others interested in environmental issues. SETAC was incorporated in Washington, DC, USA, in 1979 and soon grew to be a global entity.

SETAC is concerned about global environmental issues and is committed to Environmental Quality Through Science®. SETAC takes a multidisciplinary, multistakeholder and science-based approach to identifying solutions for environmental challenges. Because of its approach, SETAC’s development and the growth of the environmental movement are closely associated.

SETAC’s growth from SETAC North America has been marked by the establishment of Geographic Units around the world: SETAC Europe in 1989, SETAC Asia-Pacific in 1997, SETAC Latin America in 1999 and SETAC Africa in 2012, as well as regional chapters and branches at the more local level.

A unique strength of SETAC is its commitment to balance the scientific interests of government, academia and business. The society's by-laws mandate equal representation from these three sectors for officers, World Council, Geographic Unit boards of directors and councils, and committee members and governance of activities. The proportion of members from each of the three sectors has remained nearly equal over the years.

To learn more about the beginnings of SETAC, download a copy of the book “A History of SETAC,” and view a timeline of SETAC's history from our 40-year celebration.

SETAC is dedicated to advancing environmental science and science-informed decision-making through collaboration, communication, education and leadership. We fulfill that purpose through events, publications, awards and education programs.

Setac: **SETAC Timeline**

Mission and Strategy

SETAC’s mission is to advance environmental science and management.

Vision

SETAC uses the slogan “Environmental Quality Through Science®” to convey its vision to its members, stakeholders and the public.

Principles

SETAC was built in 1979 upon a set of founding principles to which the society remains committed. SETAC's principles, as currently defined, are:

SETAC: Principles.

Values

All SETAC members and guests are expected to adhere to the SETAC Code of Ethics and Code of Conduct. Further SETAC embraces a set of values to which all members and organizational entities of SETAC adhere:

Transparency – SETAC is committed to being an open and transparent society
Integrity – SETAC insists on personal and scientific integrity
Diversity and Inclusion – SETAC strives for both scientific and individual diversity and inclusivity in all aspects of governance and programming. Diversity in sciences is inclusive of collaborative sciences sometimes referred to as multidisciplinary, interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary environmental science fields. Individual diversity includes diversity in cultures, races, religions, ethnicities, nationalities, sexual orientations, gender expressions, gender identities, marital statuses, political affiliations, visible and unseen disabilities, expertise and career level, and affiliation sectors (multi-sectoral).
Equity – SETAC promotes impartiality and fair-mindedness within procedures and processes
Sustainability – SETAC embraces sustainability in all of its activities
Cooperation and dialogue – SETAC transparency extends into open science with a goal of stimulating knowledge sharing through cooperation and dialogue

Strategic Priorities

2024 Onwards

Priority I: Promote Environmental Science and Science-Based Decision Making

Objectives:

Collaboration: Foster multidisciplinary multi-sectoral programs to fill gaps between current research and decision needs.
Communication: Communicate widely about environmental science and management.
Education: Offer educational programs in environmental sciences and management.
Leadership: Develop and nurture leaders in environmental science and management.
Structures: Ensure an inclusive and equitable society where members can be engaged.

Priority II: Sustain Operational Health

Objectives:

Governance: Have an agile and inclusive competency-based governance model.
Financial: Have a robust financial model with diverse revenue streams
Operations: Have an agile and inclusive professional administrative model.

Download a copy of the 2024–2029 SETAC Strategic Plan.

Governance

SETAC was established in 1979 and soon grew to be a global entity with geographic units in Africa, Asia-Pacific, Europe, Latin America and North America. Thus, SETAC became the global home to environmental professionals from around the world while meeting the needs of individual scientists at the local and regional levels. SETAC programs include publications (such as journals, fact sheets and books), workshops, webinars and an awards program, which are all supported by members and volunteers.

The affairs of the Society are managed by the Global Executive Director under oversight of the SETAC World Council as defined by the SETAC Bylaws. SETAC is incorporated in the US as a 501(c)(6) not-for-profit organization, EIN #52-1184315.