Energy, Environment & Sustainability

Cornell is a global leader in sustainability and climate change research, teaching and engagement. Our campuses are living laboratories for developing, testing and implementing solutions that address these most challenging issues.


A&S seniors celebrate their extraordinary journeys

As the class of 2026 graduates in Arts & Sciences, we celebrate their extraordinary journeys. 

Around Cornell

Recycling excreta as fertilizer in Kenya transforms ‘disgusting’ to ‘beautiful’

Cornell researchers and Kenyan partners have developed a fertilizer made from human excreta. The product improves soil health and food production, while preventing pollution in informal settlements and the aquatic environment.

New low-THC hemp fiber cultivar flourishes in NYS climate

Ursa Alta will supply material for multiple product streams, including textiles such as denim, animal bedding and wall insulation. 

Immersive training to help prepare NYS for natural disaster

A three-day simulation on campus will put students and community members in the role of emergency responders during a humanitarian crisis.

Thoughtful solar siting can protect ag, biodiversity

Researchers have developed a model that identifies prime farmland, habitats critical for biodiversity and areas suitable for solar development in New York, to help communities minimize land-use conflicts when making solar siting decisions.

Around Cornell

From the Living Lab: Students tackle campus trash and food waste

From donating excess dining hall food to surveying their peers' leftovers, students reduce waste and make campus more sustainable. 

David Lodge, ecologist and Cornell Atkinson director, to retire

David Lodge, ecologist and director of the Cornell Atkinson Center for Sustainability, will retire May 22, 2026.

Around Cornell

Low-cost solution to parasite, poverty at risk from possible NSF cuts

Cornell-led research linking poverty and disease – and a promising path out of both – faces an uncertain future as federal science funding comes under pressure.

Mass timber industry offers sustainable construction, high-quality jobs

The ILR School’s Climate Jobs Institute presented its primer on the how the production of mass timber can create jobs and accelerate the creation of affordable housing.