The vision of PECS is a world where human actions have transformed to achieve sustainable stewardship of social—ecologicalsystems. The goal of PECS is to generate the scientific and policy-relevant knowledge of social—ecological dynamics needed to enable such a shift, including mitigation of poverty.

PECS is a coordinating body for diverse independently funded research projects, not a funder of research. PECS research employs a range of transdisciplinary approaches and methods, with comparative, place-based research that is international in scope at the core.