SHELL CENTER FOR SUSTAINABILITY
at Rice University

MISSION

On July 25, 2002, Rice University and the Shell Oil Company Foundation announced the establishment of the Shell Center for Sustainability.

The center will create an interdisciplinary program of education, research and outreach to address the role of the private sector in implementing a sustainable future. The center will draw upon the various strengths of Rice University and will collaborate with other highly respected regional, U.S., and global institutions of higher learning and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) in this endeavor.The fundamental premise that corporate decision-making is a critical component to a successful strategy for improving social, environmental, and economic welfare will underpin the center's work. Development and evolution of technologies and business models will be focus areas since they help define the landscape within which private sector decision-making occurs.
An interdisciplinary approach is critical to understanding and improving the implementation of corporate sustainability strategies. There are roles for both national and internaitional regulation, new technologies, and improved management, measurement, and reporting systems that drive corporate actions. Implementation of this vision requires contributions from the physical, social and management sciences.

The center will be enabled by fellowship support to attract top young scholars from around the world -- from both developed and developing nations -- to pursue graduate study and research on sustainability issues. The center also will support outstanding visiting scholars and sponsor outreach program designed to inform policy-makers, business leaders, NGOs, and the general public while stimulating better-informed dialogue.

OBJECTIVES

Overview: The Shell Center for Sustainability will meet educational, outreach, and research requirements related to developing a sustainable future. The center will be supported by the Environmental and Energy Systems Institute, and the center's activities also draw upon the resources of interdisciplinary groups at Rice, including the James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy, the Jones Graduate School of Management, and the newly created Center for Biological and Environmental Nanotechnology.

Education: The Shell Center for Sustainability will be an interdisciplinary program of education, research, and outreach to address the role of the private sector in implementing a sustainable future. It will:

• Provide society with broadly educated environmental, technical, and natural resource experts to mold future decision-making in the private and public sectors to help assure a more sustainable future in both developed and developing nations.
  
• Advance thinking around market-based mechanisms that can be deployed to enhance sustainability Help improve public and private sector decision-making while increasing sustainability literacy of individuals entering all professions.Outreach: The center will share the knowledge developed with institutions, business leaders, government, policy-makers, students, and the general public to raise awareness about sustainable development and best practices for achieving sustainability.

Outreach: The center will share the knowledge developed with institutions, business leaders, government, policy-makers, students, and the general public to raise awareness about sustainable development and best practices for achieving sustainability. It will:

• Enhance the exchange of information in the public and private sectors by serving as an independent forum for open discussion and constructive dialogue on sustainable development issues and policies across a broad spectrum of stakeholders, including U.S. and international business leaders, academia, NGOs, and senior policy-makers.
• Share the knowledge developed with institutions, business leaders, governments, policy-makers, students, and the general public to raise awareness about sustainable development and best practices for achieving it.
• Develop linkages with other institutions and nongovernmental organizations at a local, regional, nations, and international level.

Research: The center will foster new technologies, business models, products, and markets to enhance prospects for sustainable economic growth. It will:

• Develop new tools in engineering, the social sciences, and the natural sciences that enhance the understanding or requirements for sustainability, help remove institutional barriers to sensible environmental and social practices, and contribute to new policy instruments for achieving sustainability.
• Research issues posed by environmental and societal impacts arising from economic activities.