Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment

Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE) is a research institution in the areas of biodiversity conservation and sustainable development. We focus on applied science through research, education and action that influence policy and practice on conservation of nature, management of natural resources, and sustainable development.

ATREE envisions a society committed to environmental conservation and sustainable and socially just development, in which ATREE plays the role of a model knowledge-generating organization for catalyzing the transition to such a society.

ATREE's mission is to promote socially just environmental conservation and sustainable development by generating rigorous interdisciplinary knowledge that engages actively with academia, policy makers, practitioners, activists, students and wider public audiences.

Our notion of socially just is grounded in the following values:

• that both material and non-material quality of life are important
• that this quality of life needs to be sustained across future generations as well as distributed equitably within current generations
• that the rights and needs of people also need to be balanced with those of all other life forms
• that societal decisions about socio-environmental issues must be taken in a democratic manner

ATREE values

• professional integrity and rigour
• academic freedom
• increasing ownership at all levels in the institution
• fairness and transparency
• accountability to society
• cultural and ethnic diversity
• collaboration and partnerships