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When you choose to publish with PLOS, your research makes an impact. Make your work accessible to all, without restrictions, and accelerate scientific discovery with options like preprints and published peer review that make your work more Open.

Our commitment to sustainability

We’re committed to creating an inclusive, collaborative, and conscientious organization that takes a leading role in transforming scholarly communication for the better.

We’re proud to be a signatory of the UN SDG Publisher’s compact to advance the 17 Sustainable Development Goals through the Open Access research we publish as well as the actions we take across our business.

The SDG Publishers Compact aims to accelerate progress to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.
"By publishing all rigorous research and making it available to the widest possible audience, PLOS ONE advances research related to all SDGs, including interdisciplinary research at the intersection of global challenges."
"PLOS Climate catalyzes climate action by informing public policy and ensuring multidisciplinary, globally diverse perspectives are shaping our understanding of the challenges facing our planet, potential solutions, and interlinkages with health and well-being."
"PLOS Water publishes research on every dimension of freshwater management and use, supporting evidence-informed efforts to advance human well-being, ecosystem health, and sustainable and inclusive development."
"PLOS Global Public Health seeks to advance the health and well-being for all the world’s people and address deeply entrenched global inequities in public health by amplifying research from historically underrepresented communities."
"PLOS Sustainability and Transformation aims to inform crucial actions to catalyze long term, transformative change for our environment and our economy, as well as agricultural and energy systems that support our communities. Spanning disciplines, our journal facilitates an exchange of knowledge to tackle interconnected challenges from more inclusive perspectives."
"PLOS Digital Health drives transformation in the delivery of equitable and unbiased healthcare by making research related to digital tools and technologies that significantly advance human health accessible to all."
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Building a more sustainable future through trusted research

Our multidisciplinary Open Access journals form connections between disciplines and across geographies to advance global progress for a more resilient, equitable, and sustainable future.

Many of our journals advance research aligned to the UN SDGs, shining a spotlight on challenges in health equity, igniting public policy discussion, informing the actions we take to address climate change and use our planet’s resources more sustainably, and much more. 

PLOS has a longstanding commitment to working with global research communities who are addressing societal challenges, and to focusing the development of our portfolio to support their needs. We’re shaping journal content, representation on our editorial boards, and the tools we offer researchers to share and promote their work around best practices for advancing a sustainable and inclusive future for all.

Rebecca Kirk, Publisher, Portfolio Development
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Featured collections

Global child health: From birth to adolescence and beyond

This PLOS Medicine Special Issue brings together the latest research on child and adolescent health, and features topics including strategies to monitor and combat child mortality from birth through adolescence.

Going for green: Biology for planetary sustainability

This PLOS Biology collection focuses on technologies that take advantage of nature to improve sustainability. The research explores biological solutions that could reduce CO2 emissions, get rid of plastics that are currently not degradable, produce food more sustainably, and generate energy.

Ocean solutions for a sustainable, healthy and inclusive future

Many issues afflict the ocean, such as loss of biodiversity, overexploitation, acidification, warming and increasing pollution. Recognizing the scope and urgency of this problem, PLOS Biology has developed a new collection.

Leading responsibly

In addition to the content we publish, PLOS is working to eliminate financial barriers to Open Access publishing, partnering with research communities around the world to co-create more equitable solutions for sharing open research and ensuring inclusive policies shape our journals.

Sustainability at PLOS

As an organization, we consider the best options for our planet when choosing vendors, travel, and office operations. The PLOS Planeteers is a passionate committee sponsored by our CFO, leading PLOS’ efforts to become a more sustainable business as well as providing information and workshops to staff on how we can each reduce our personal carbon footprint.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at PLOS

We want to learn from, and partner with, different communities to build a system for Open Science that’s designed, owned, and shared with the communities that use it. We’re working to ensure all parts of our organization are open to and shaped by diverse perspectives and that our journals represent the broadest range of expert knowledge possible.

Updates and perspectives from PLOS blogs

The ways in which we surface research and how we represent the broadest spectrum of researchers’ voices matter greatly to the success of the SDGs and to the integrity of scholarly publishing more broadly.

SDG Steering Committee

To drive forward these efforts, we’ve appointed an SDG Steering Committee comprised of senior leaders and experts across our organization who will advance our progress in becoming a more sustainable and inclusive organization.

The SDG Steering Committee consists of:

Alison Mudditt
Chief Executive Officer

Roheena Anand
Executive Director, Global Publishing Development

Rebecca Kirk
Publisher, Portfolio Development

Stephen Matheson
Associate Editorial Director

Bekah Darksmith
Chief of Staff and Chief Marketing & Communications Officer 

Jocelyn Quigley
Executive Director, Marketing & Communications

Sandra Upegui
General Counsel

Jamie Males
Executive Editor, PLOS Climate

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