The PUNTACANA Center for Sustainability was established in 1999 as a research and education facility devoted to creating solutions to environmental and social challenges related to tourism development in the Caribbean. The Center was originally created through a pioneering partnership between the PUNTACANA Ecological Foundation, Grupo PUNTACANA and Cornell University and has since been expanded to include a diverse and growing coalition of national and international institutions.

The Center for Sustainability is equipped with laboratories, offices, a library, classroom facilities, dormitory rooms, as well as laundry and kitchen facilities for extended stays.

• The Center is guided by the following goals:
  
• Develop and implement solutions to global environmental challenges.
  
• Influence and contribute to the development of sustainable destinations through the rational use of natural resources.
  
• Develop leadership training (community, corporate, environmental, social) in order to create responsible global citizens.
  
• Expand scholarship and facilitate knowledge transfer in the Caribbean region.

Active partners include Cornell University, Columbia University, Harvard University, Virginia Tech, University of South Carolina, University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, Syracuse University and Leiden University.