Climate Action Plan

Climate Action Plan

The Climate Action Plan is Cornell’s overarching plan for carbon neutrality for campus operations, the advancement of a living laboratory for climate research and teaching, and global solutions for a low-carbon future by 2035. 

By demonstrating scalable low-carbon solutions on campus, advancing climate literacy and research initiatives, and accelerating impact through collaborative partnerships locally and globally, we can make a difference.  Our Climate Action Plan is the roadmap to achieving campus carbon neutrality by 2035, and creating a more just and secure future for our community, New York state, and the world. The Climate Action Plan is stewarded by the Sustainable Cornell Council.

Current Actions

The Sustainable Cornell Council is undertaking an update to the Climate Action Plan.  An update on completed, in progress, and key priorities is coming soon.

Climate Action Partners

Cornell is a member of several national and global partnerships to advance climate leadership. Learn more on our Partnerships page. 

Climate Action Plan Documents

As of 2014, Cornell University began treating the campus Climate Action Plan as a "living document."  Rather than a single comprehensive updated report, the 2013 CAP is considered the basis document, with new reports added as supplementary strategy over time.

The 2013 Climate Action Plan Update - commonly referred to as the 2013 Roadmap - can be considered the most recent comprehensive document and is a good place to begin to understand the University's strategy to achieve carbon neutrality goals. Subsequent reports such as Options for a Carbon Neutral Campus have focused on creating plans or research implementation strategies for specific aspects of the CAP, but have not substantially altered the initial strategy outlined in the 2009 original plan or 2013 update.