This mission of the Board on Environmental Change and Society (BECS) is to "increase problem-focused understanding of coupled human-environment systems" and "inform transitions to improved human well-being in the face of environmental change." BECS evolved from the Committee on Human Dimensions of Global Change, which helped guide research on the interactions of human activities and the environment, and also provided a forum for linking the social and natural sciences in research, planning and decision-making. BECS is intended to continue this tradition and expand on the types of issues considered, to address emerging scientific and governmental concerns, including climate change.