The Blue Ridge Sustainability Institute creates, aggregates, and communicates knowledge, providing leadership for sustainable economic growth throughout Western North Carolina.

Drawing on the region’s extraordinary biodiversity, its pioneering history of ecological awareness and self-reliance, and the intellectual depth and vitality of its growing creative class, BRSI seeks to forge a twenty-first century innovation system by linking:

· Scientific research related to the atmosphere and water resources,

· Applied research in the built and natural environment, and

· Action research in economic development.

By identifying and, where necessary, generating appropriate strategies for improving our understanding of and dedication to a socially, environmentally, and economically interdependent future, BRSI encourages fresh thinking in government and industry, and provides practical tools to community activists and policymakers alike. By also dedicating resources to the increasing global demand for green products and green technologies, the Blue Ridge Sustainability Institute helps Western North Carolina model sustainable behaviors replicable throughout the nation and the world.