The Institute for Sustainable Energy and the Environment

The Institute for Sustainable Energy and the Environment (previously South Texas Environmental Institute) was established in 2001 with the mission to promote regional sustainability by fostering the ideals of environmental protection while encouraging regional economic growth. The Institute promotes applied research, technology development and transfer and environmental education to the South Texas region by:

1. promoting the use of innovative sustainable technologies in all aspects of South Texas life,
2. fostering applied research for the development and transfer of technologies that ensure an equitable balance between ecological, environmental and occupational health and continued economic growth of the region,
3. providing individuals, institutions and communities access to resources that ensure a knowledgeable populace equipped with an understanding of environmental issues for making informed decisions and
4. promoting and providing for coordination and consolidation environmental activities on a regional scale.

Trans-boundary environmental issues with Mexico and the Gulf of Mexico along its coast are a key focus area in the Institute’s charter. Activities such as the South Texas Environmental Conference Series, held annually in both the Coastal Bend and the Rio Grande Valley, in addition to the regional research emphasis, has resulted in partnerships and collaborations with organizations and individuals from throughout the South Texas region.