In this interview, Fulvio Beato talks about the state and prospects of environmental sociology. He places the beginning of the environmental focus in the Anglo-Saxon culture of the 60s and 70s, which lead to a consequent need of a new sociological specialization in order to understand the deep links between environment and social systems. Today, the environment is a subject recognized by different aspects of cultural and scientific areas and plays an important role in economies and in public policies in both advanced societies and newly industrialized ones. Knowledge and competency in environmental sociology offers a valuable contribution to better understand and handle these dynamics