The University swept top spots in national sustainability rankings for the 2020 year after being recognized as one of the most sustainable higher education institutions by the Sierra Club, Princeton Review, AASHE's Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System, and the Carbon Commitment run by Second Nature.

An accomplished environmental scientist, new CALS Dean Benjamin Z.  Houlton has published more than 130 academic papers. He is internationally recognized for his research on ecosystem processes and for creating collaborations that drive sustainable agriculture and energy production.

On Monday, September 21, the Campus Sustainability Office released its first-ever interactive annual sustainability report.
The annual report design process began with an intention to capture STARS Plantinum and make the 1,000s of metric points available in the full STARS report more accessible to the campus community and public by creating an engaging, interactive, data-driven online report. Here is a list of takeaways from the creation of the report, as compiled by the Sustainability Office's summer fellow.

After identifying student climate literacy as a key metric to advance in it's first year, the Sustainable Cornell Council’s Education & Engagement Committee wrote, developed, and implemented Cornell’s first climate literacy module for incoming students this Fall.  

Cornell University will host the 10th annual State of NY Sustainability Conference this December as part of membership in the New York Coalition for Sustainability in Higher Education (NYCSHE).

Cornell has earned a platinum sustainability rating – the top status – from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE), the international group that tracks environmental stewardship for more than 1,000 college campuses.

Effective immediately, the moratorium applies to new private equity and bond vehicles focused on fossil fuels, a category that makes up about 4.2% of Cornell’s long-term investments. That percentage is expected to dwindle to zero over time as existing investments mature and assets are redeployed to other areas, including renewables.

Cornell has adopted an official travel policy that prioritizes employee use of low-carbon event attendance (remote & virtual) and low-carbon transportation (reducing air travel). 

Cornell reached a symbolic milestone in its journey to carbon neutrality when the campus power use was completely met by renewable energy last month.

We are in a period of uncertainty, anxiety, and confusion. How do we come together to support each other, stay productive, and stay safe?