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.


Ault: Future droughts may ‘eclipse’ those of the past

Given that greenhouse gases still warm the atmosphere and climate change disrupts oceanic hydrology, the forecast for drought looks grim, according to a Cornell paper in Science.

Chemists create faster-degrading plastic for marine uses

To address the plastic environmental crisis, Cornell chemists have developed a new polymer for a marine setting that is poised to degrade by ultraviolet radiation.

Cornell helps forge a new field: finance sustainability

In a special climate change issue of the Review of Financial Studies, nine new research papers – including two from Cornell – have staked new territory for scholarly study: finance sustainability.

Dogs trained to detect oak wilt, invasive species

Dogs have highly sensitive noses, a trait environmental conservationists, land managers and plant disease specialists are harnessing to sniff out invasive species.

Cornell Atkinson calls for COVID-19 rapid-response proposals

Cornell Atkinson is calling for proposals for faculty research related to the global COVID-19 pandemic. The center’s Rapid Response Fund will award seed grants of up to $10,000 for projects.

Cornell joins global research university climate alliance

Cornell has a long-standing commitment to help lead the fight against climate change, and on April 2 it became a founding member of the International Universities Climate Alliance.

(Virtual) Things to Do, March 27-April 10

Virtual events and resources at Cornell include: Images of Dragon Days past; Cornell experts discuss COVID-19; “Cosmos” and spotlight on women artists at the Johnson Museum; student theater and film updates; and a citizen science project surveying breeding birds.

For grounded forecast of volcanic unrest, spy from above

To better predict volcanic activity, Cornell geologists have proposed a new system to discern the stages of a volcano’s unrest – as seen from perceptive satellites.

Execs: Consumers pushing companies toward sustainability

To address social and environmental concerns, consumer pressure is driving companies toward a greener corporate landscape more than ever before.