The Board on Environmental Change and Society (BECS) evolved from the Committee on Human Dimensions of Global Change (CHDGC), which has since 1989 helped to guide research on the interactions between human activities and the environment. It provided a forum for linking the social and natural sciences in research, planning, and decisionmaking. BECS will continue in this tradition, while expanding on the types of issues that it may consider, to address emerging scientific and governmental concerns.

 

The establishment of BECS was commemorated at an inaugural event in May, 2012.