Browse objectives

Focus on research designed to develop efficient and sustainable energy systems, minimize energy losses, and address the impact of fossil fuels on the built and natural environments.

• Explore the development of geothermal reservoirs, optimize extraction methods, and promote the efficient utilization of geothermal energy for sustainable power generation.
• Develop innovative engineering, technology, and business solutions to energy efficiency and carbon capture at scale.
• Propel innovation in low-cost solar, energy storage, and other groundbreaking sustainability technologies.
• Expand research and initiatives on water technologies and sustainable materials.
• Explore microbe-level CO2 management for innovative sustainable carbon processes.
• Elevate Rice as a leading innovator in the development of practical business solutions that encourage and equip oil and gas companies to pursue ventures that drive the energy transition and adapt to needed organizational and operational challenges, transforming Houston from the Energy Capital of the World to the Clean Energy Capital of the World.
• Collaborate with private and public institutions in Europe, India, Latin America, and the Global South to study and understand varying perceptions that drive human behavior around climate change and innovative approaches that advance the energy transfer while incorporating the differing international policies and approaches to these challenges.

Establish a transformative model for complex challenges created by climate change in coastal communities around the world.

• Advance the understanding, implications of changes in, and importance of the Gulf Coast ecosystem as a region where many climatic zones converge and multiple flyways intersect, resulting in high biodiversity of living species.
• Identify and implement effective strategies, interventions, and adaptive management practices that promote resilience, conserve biodiversity, and sustainably manage Gulf Coast ecosystems.
• Ensure solutions and strategies address the compounding challenges resulting from the increasing prevalence of natural disasters to the ecosystems and cities next to coastal areas, integrating scientific advancements, social resilience, and sustainable practices to foster lasting positive impacts on both humanity and the environment.
• Partner with local, national, and global businesses to develop holistically sustainable practices that preserve and protect the Gulf Coast ecosystem.
• Study the economic impact of climate change on the wellbeing of people living in coastal areas, and develop meaningful contributions to mitigate its negative economic and social impact.
• Pioneer innovative solutions that leverage AI, advanced computing, and data analytics to drive transformative innovation for a more sustainable future.

Lead in the study of the human impact of climate change and development of effective strategies and policies for the environment and social systems.

• Hire faculty that enhance the interdisciplinary approach and further strengthen the depth in behavioral research that will ensure systems that facilitate sustainable change.
• Study and understand the diverse impacts of climate change, including the impact on the prevalence and severity of natural disasters, biodiversity and human wellbeing, economic conditions, and infrastructure.
• Advance policies to improve conditions for under-resourced communities, which are disproportionately affected by the impacts of climate change.
• Leverage the expertise of the Baker Institute to develop techno-economic policy solutions.
• Integrate social and behavioral sciences research into strategies for a comprehensive approach that takes into account different iterations of a sustainable future.

Develop new, and enhance existing, academic offerings across disciplines to develop graduates to lead in the energy, climate, and environment transformation.

• Pursue multidisciplinary cluster hires around sustainability.
• Employ the full potential of Rice’s institutes and centers to drive interdisciplinary research on sustainable futures.
• Coordinate the multiple undergraduate majors and course offerings in energy and sustainability that span across disciplines, reflecting the university’s commitment to environmental responsibility.
• Enhance support for interdisciplinary studies to ensure students can personalize their approach to studying energy and the environment, and provide units with support and incentives to collaborate and develop and integrated curriculum.
• Draw on the strengths of the Baker Institute and the political science department to develop courses and a public policy program around sustainability.
• Harness the transformative power of the arts and creative scholarship to weave compelling narratives and create thought-provoking works that raise awareness and foster constructive dialogue on sustainability and climate change.
• Pioneer innovative solutions that leverage AI, advanced computing, and data analytics to drive transformative to address climate and environmental challenges.

Advance the goal of carbon neutrality on the Rice campus.

• Utilize and enhance the campus as an arboretum that supports research, education, and mental health.
• Leverage existing facilities, energy infrastructure, and nature along with construction projects to devise scalable solutions on the Rice campus.
• Explore opportunities to implement new policies and technologies in Rice’s physical spaces, using the campus as a living laboratory.
• Make Rice’s transition to carbon neutrality a showcase for implementation of sustainable solutions.
• Integrate implementation of campus sustainability across the curriculum.