Charge & Priorities

Sustainable Cornell Council

Committee Charges & Priorities

The Steering Committees of the Sustainable Cornell Council are charged with identifying, prioritizing, and advancing sustainability goals specific to their topic area, and task working groups to advance priorities each year.  Find out more about current priorities & work here.

General Committee Charges

Each Steering Committee sets priorities, then stands up working groups or solicits research and inquiry, for the academic year in order to meet overarching goals and principles outlined by the Sustainable Cornell Council charge. SCC Committees also help to support existing institutional sustainability efforts through administrative support and relationship building, and help facilitate living laboratory projects & culture change initiatives.

Sustainable Cornell Council Guidance Document: Committee Charges 

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Carbon Neutral Campus Committee

Advance campus carbon neutrality through implementation of the Climate Action Plan.

Working Priorities 

(Chairs) Ben Houlton, dean of CALS and Cole Tucker, associate vice president for energy and sustainability

  • Land-Based Carbon Sinks Working Group
    Identify and evaluate carbon sequestration and carbon sinks approaches, investments, and projects which have the potential to advance Cornell’s operations, climate action plan, and academic mission at scale. The group will select an appropriate GHG accounting methodology for this work, identify areas of potential impact, and create a prioritization matrix evaluating carbon reduction potential, cost to administer projects, and living laboratory research, teaching, and public engagement potential
  • BIG RED Utilities Reliability and Energy Transition Faculty Advisory Committee
    The Faculty Oversight Committee will provide rigorous technical review to ensure that the BIG RED UR&ET master plan adheres to contemporary research, sound modeling, and University sustainability and affordability principles.
  • Supported & Living Laboratory Projects:
    • Earth Source Heat 
      Evaluate and, if viable, develop deep, direct-use geothermal to warm the Ithaca campus without the use of fossil fuels or refrigerants, and only minimal electricity. Learn more at https://earthsourceheat.cornell.edu/
    • 100% Renewable Electricity
      Procure power and renewable energy credits from new-build renewable energy projects in NY state equivalent to the annual usage of the Ithaca campus
    • The BIG RED Energy Transition
      Build an Integrated Grid for Reliability, Efficiency, and Decarbonization by performing a comprehensive master planning of the energy transition away from fossil fuels for the Ithaca campus utility system. Campus-wide integrated planning includes 1) distribution system steam to hot water conversion 2) building-specific energy retrofits 3) benefits and costs of additional thermal energy storage 4) Central Energy Plant equipment physical needs assessment and renewal recommendations.
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Campus Operations Committee

Advance initiatives for a model sustainable campus that support climate resilience and human and planetary health

Working Priorities

(Chairs) Rick Burgess, vice president for facilities and campus services 

  • Campus-wide Waste Reduction
    Following a 2025-2026 Ithaca campus waste audit we will have a better understanding of what is included in our landfill and recycling waste streams and determine the best opportunities to reduce the overall waste and contamination.
  • Dining Operations Food Waste Reduction
    Evaluate opportunities for food and other waste-minimization in both process and products in Dining Services back-of-house operations.
  • EV Transition & Infrastructure Determine the appropriate charging infrastructure to accommodate on campus demand.
  • Sustainable Computing Determine opportunities to advance sustainable computing across campus including how to use computing to tackle sustainability problems as well as explore how to advance the sustainability of computing itself. 
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Education & Engagement Committee

Cultivate literacy and a culture of sustainability responsibility that catalyzes participation across the campus community.

Working Priorities

(Chairs) Katherine McComas, vice provost for engagement and land-grant affairs and Steve Jackson, vice provost for academic innovation

  • Incoming Student Climate Literacy
    Advance climate change & sustainability knowledge and skillsets for all students through implementation and review of the Mission Sustainability To-Do List module & assessments, and facilitate programs to increase student knowledge and engagement throughout the year.
  • Campus as a Living Laboratory
    Develop plan to empower, connect, and build capacity among Cornell students, faculty, and staff to advance sustainability priorities on campus through curricular and extracurricular projects
  • Campus Events
    Facilitate adoption of sustainable practices across all campus events through student & employee training, resource development, data analysis, and program evaluation
  • Employee Education & Engagement
    Assess employee knowledge and attitudes on sustainability & climate change, and develop employee onboarding and professional development programs to emphasize the university's core values
  • Curriculum
    Advance climate change and sustainability literacy in the curriculum by developing enhanced experiential opportunities for students, and creating learning opportunities for faculty