Online Access to Research in the Environment is an international public-private partnership that enables developing countries to gain free or low cost access to one of the world’s largest collections of environmental science research. 

The partnership, which is coordinated by the Center for Biodiversity Conservation and Science, the Yale University Library, the United Nations Environment Program, STM, and over 100 leading science and technology publishers, has a mission to help reduce great disparities in access to scientific research between developed and developing nations. In doing so, it supports the efforts of low income countries to achieve the following four development objectives:

• Build the capacity of environmental professionals to manage fragile ecosystems, protect human health, and manage natural renewable resources more sustainably.
• Build the capacity of national experts to facilitate – through their knowledge and reputation – the development of more progressive, science-driven state policies, regulatory frameworks, and governance structures.
• Strengthen the intellectual foundation of universities so as to enable scientists to conduct research on par with peers in industrialized countries and establish their own publishing record; help faculty to better educate the next generation of leaders; and enable students to seek education in new and emerging scientific disciplines.
• Build the capacity of local media to gather and disseminate to the public new scientific knowledge of importance to the welfare of developing nations.

Many organizations are participating in the consortium. Partners providing scientific content include the world's leading publishing houses and the world's most prestigious scientific societies and associations. Today, over 1300 peer-reviewed scientific publications owned and published by 340 partners are now available to environment institutions in 106 eligible low income countries.