The Earth Science Matters Foundation is an outcome of the International Year of Planet Earth (IYPE), proclaimed by the United Nations for 2008 and operational in the period 2007 until mid 2010. The Foundation was formed at the request of many of the 80 National and Regional IYPE Committees who have been particularly successful in promoting the contribution made by the Earth sciences to Society dur
ing the IYPE Triennium. The Earth Science Matters Foundation provides that umbrella. Through its strap-line: bringing knowledge of the Earth to everyone, the Earth Science Matters Foundation will spread knowledge of the Earth beyond the professional Earth scientific communities to a wider audience, including politicians, decision-makers, funding organisations, students and to the public at large. That will be achieved through publications, events, projects, the media and a variety of other communication tools. National Committees will play a key role in such outreach activities. As in the IYPE, the Earth Science Matters Foundation believes that knowledge of the Earth is essential to make our planet a safer, healthier and more prosperous place for future generations. The Earth Science Matters Foundation was registered on 17 December 2010, initially as The Planet Earth Institute and is based at Wageningen University and Research (WUR) in Wageningen, The Netherlands. Using the accumulated experience of many hundreds of professionals who contributed to the successful International Year of Planet Earth, both at international and national levels, the Earth Science Matters Foundation is well placed to enable organisations to communicate their Earth-related messages to a wider audience, including funding organisations.
