Shell Center for Sustainability Inaugural Conference

Shell Center for Sustainability
Inaugural Symposium Registration Form

Through the generous support of the Shell Foundation,
there is NO CHARGE for this conference.

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For More Information: email eesi@rice.edu or call Christine Gardner at 713-348-4700

Finding solutions to some of the world's most intractable problems - such as deforestation, global warming, water resources, poverty and fossil fuel dependence - were topics of discussions at the inaugural conference of Rice's new Shell Center for Sustainability. Rather than viewing these problems in isolation, scholars and practitioners of sustainabliity from the private and public sectors have increasingly adopted a holistic approach, looking at the complex interplay of social, economic and environmental factors. Their goal is sustainable development, a path that will allow human civiliazation to flourish in the coming century in spite of rapid population growth.

Over 550 registrants attended the conference, representing 13 countries, 12 states and 23 Texas cities. Attendess came from over 100 companies, organizations and institutions, and included Houston philanthropist George Mitchell, a longtime champion of sustainability studies, who recently established the George and Cynthia Mitchell Chair in Sustainable Development as part of the Shell Center. The conference was sponsored by the Environmental and Energy Systems Institute and the James A. Baker II Institute for Public Policy, with additional support from the French Embassy.

"Sustainable development is all about trying to bring about green growth, which benefits both the natural environment and the humans who depend upon it for clean air, water, healthy foods and so much more," said Rice President Malcolm Gillis in the conference's opening address. He added that Rice is ideally suited to help map out paths for sustainabile development because of its established base of interdiciplinary and interinstitutional collaborations - the kinds of cross-disciplinary partnerships that are needed to tackle sustainability issues. He particularly stressed the need to make better use both of market mechanisms and traditional regulatory tools that have been misued in the past.

Gillis spearheaded the development of the Shell Center along with Royal Ductch-Shell Chairman Sir Philip Watts, who also addressed the conference. Watt's remarks focused on climate change and on Shell's commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and finding long-term alternatives to fossil fuels. "There is great uncertainty about this," he commented. "But taking action now will enable us to respond better whichever way our understainding develops. We can't afford not to take action." He said one of the persistent myths of sustainable development is that business is the problem. In realsity, business must be part of the solution.

Gilllis and Watts headlined a list of speakers that included U.S. Under Secretary of State for Global Affiars Paula Dobriansky, former French Minister of State for Social Economy Guy Hascoet, and Toyota Motor Corporation Senior Managing Director Hiroyuki Watanabe.

Shell Center Executive Director Christian Holmes said one of the primary goals of the new research center is to develop established methods, or best practices, that industry can follow in order to foster sustainability. The center will address such challenges as the improvement of air quality, sustainable development of major urban areas, the development of new sources of energy, and the provision and treatment of water. In do doing, Holmes hopes the center will enable Rice students to perceive sustainability as a value and a tool which can assist them throughout their careers in making decisions that benefit the environment, society and the economy.