The Institute for Energy, Environment and Sustainable Communities of the University of Regina is a research and demonstration institute that integrates energy, environment and sustainability research expertise and undertakes thematic research to address the impacts and challenges of climate change.

The Institute has a focus on sustainable communities, participates in the President's Advisory Committee on Sustainability and provides support to campus sustainability initiatives. The sustainability component of the Institute has a broad scope including engaging and interacting with sustainability initiatives across the province. The Institute recognizes that sustainability is broader than the development of technologies, and embraces the concepts of Education for Sustainability. The Institute supports and promotes University of Regina activities as a United Nations Regional Centre of Expertise on Education for Sustainability (RCE Saskatchewan).

Campus and community sustainability are a component of the demonstration and educational activities of the Institute, building on the University's status as a United Nations Regional Centre of Expertise on Education for Sustainability.

The Institute's focus is research in the areas of energy, environment and sustainability, including research into the province's energy resources, and the effects of climate change, environmental pollution and meeting emissions targets in the energy sector. The Institute builds on a foundation of the engineering, science and social science components of energy, environment and sustainability, providing a comprehensive base for interdisciplinary research.

The Institute works with other centres on campus, as well as with faculty from different disciplines and other groups, such as government and industry, to ensure optimization of activities undertaken by these different groups and an effective delivery of interdisciplinary training. The Institute interacts with the international community in areas of research relevant to the province and Canada.

The Institute conducts integrated research into energy, environment and sustainability issues with relevance to Saskatchewan and Canada, including the development of energy resources not covered by other centres, the interaction of energy production, transport and use on the physical and social environment, and the development of a more sustainable energy industry. This research includes the development and application of tools for the better understanding of the impacts of energy production and use on the environment, including Geographic Information Systems, system modeling, and integrative tools.

The Institute provides training to improve capacity building, particularly as it relates to climate change and the effects of all environmental issues on the energy sector and on sustainable communities.