Sustainability Studies: Research Centers & Professional Associations

The Texas Research Institute for Environmental Studies (TRIES) is a research facility dedicated to the pursuit and dissemination of scientific discovery through innovative research, and to the growth of unique educational opportunities for both faculty and students at Sam Houston State University. The Institute hosts and supports leading researchers in environmental science and provides expertise and an awareness of current environmental issues to serve both the public and scientific communities.

The Austin Water Center for Environmental Research at the Hornsby Bend is a partnership formed in 1989 with the University of Texas and Texas A&M University to support urban ecology and sustainability studies for Austin.

In Phase II, CEES research will address the challenging interdisciplinary problems, paving the way for scientific and technological breakthroughs in energy engineering to meet short- and long-term national needs.

The Center for Green Schools at the U.S. Green Building Council believes that all students deserve to attend sustainable schools that enhance their health and prepare them for 21st century careers.

A FREE initiative, originally developed by the American Association of Community Colleges, the Sustainability Education, and Economic Development (SEED) Center is now run by the National Council for Workforce Education and Bellevue College. The SEED Center aims to advance sustainability and clean technology education programs at colleges by sharing innovative practices to help college administrators, faculty, and staff build the green economy. More than 470 community colleges are members of SEED, and more than 30 college presidents made up SEED’s Presidents Advisory Cabinet.

The UNFCCC secretariat (UN Climate Change) is the United Nations entity tasked with supporting the global response to the threat of climate change. UNFCCC stands for United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The Convention has near universal membership (197 Parties) and is the parent treaty of the 2015 Paris Agreement. The main aim of the Paris Agreement is to keep the global average temperature rise this century as close as possible to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. The UNFCCC is also the parent treaty of the 1997 Kyoto Protocol. The ultimate objective of all three agreements under the UNFCCC is to stabilize greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that will prevent dangerous human interference with the climate system, in a time frame which allows ecosystems to adapt naturally and enables sustainable development.

(STARS) is a transparent, self-reporting framework for colleges and universities to measure their sustainability performance.

Second Nature is committed to accelerating climate action in, and through, higher education.

We do this by mobilizing a diverse array of higher education institutions to act on bold climate commitments, to scale campus climate initiatives, and to create innovative climate solutions. We align, amplify, and bridge the sector’s efforts with other global leaders to advance urgent climate priorities.

ecoAmerica builds institutional leadership, public support, and political will for climate solutions in the United States.

AASHE empowers higher education faculty, administrators, staff and students to be effective change agents and drivers of sustainability innovation. We work with and for higher education to ensure that our world’s future leaders are motivated and equipped to solve sustainability challenges.

Non profit organization supporting sustainability projects on the local, national and international levels. Brings together businesses, government agencies, academic institutions, religious organizations, nonprofits, community groups, and individuals.