CSHD is responsible in conceptualizing, designing and implementing programs and projects on environmental management, community development and other areas of sustainable human development. The Academy established the Center in 2004 with the thrust of contributing to poverty reduction by broadening the choices of the Filipinos and improving their level of being, without impairing the ability of future Filipino generations to broaden their own choices and improve their own level of being.

CSHD houses the Environmental Management Office (EMO), which was created to continue the environment-related programs and projects that the Academy started implementing in the early 1970s. EMO started as the Academy's Environmental Management Assistance Programme (EMAP) in 1991. In 1994, the Academy institutionalized its environmental management programs by creating the Environmental Management Programme Office (EMPO), the predecessor of EMO.