The Center for Environmental Philosophy promotes the study of environmental ethics and philosophy. CEP was created by the board of directors of Environmental Philosophy, Inc., a nonprofit corporation of the State of New Mexico. It is the product of a number of activities begun with the creation of the journal Environmental Ethics.

The journal was founded in 1978 by Eugene C. Hargrove at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque. The first issue was published in January 1979. In September 1980 a nonprofit organization, Environmental Philosophy, Inc., was created to be the owner of the journal. It is a 501(c)3 tax-exempt organization created for literary, scientific, and educational purposes.

The journal moved to the University of Georgia in fall 1981. The Center for Environmental Philosophy was established in 1989 by Environmental Philosophy, Inc. as a center for its various activities in publishing, research, and education.

The center moved to the University of North Texas in 1990 and was given the status of an affiliated organization in 1991 by the UNT Council of Deans.

The center moved to its current location in the UNT Environmental Education, Science, and Technology Building in April 1998 together with the Institute of Applied Sciences, the Department of Philosophy and Religion, the Department of Geography, the Center for Community and Environmental Journalism, and the Elm Fork Education Center.

The primary activities of the center are currently:

• supporting and promoting the journal Environmental Ethics
• reprinting important books through the book series Environmental Ethics Books
• supporting research in environmental ethics and philosophy through workshops and conferences.
• and mentoring and the promoting graduate education in the field of environmental ethics in cooperation with the Department of Philosophy and Religion at the University of North Texas.