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.


Sweet compounds aid water retention in dry soil

Organic material added by plant roots and microbes provide nutritious candy for the soil. Literally. Cellular sugar boosts water and nutrient retention, says new Cornell research.

Cornell's Innovations in Food Systems Forum is June 7

Dig into digital agriculture, comprehend plant breeding biotechnology, and learn out how the microbiome may solve food production problems at an agricultural technology and partnership forum June 7.

Collaborative startup will monitor pathogens in hospital settings

Biotia, a startup offering microbial surveillance for hospitals, is a joint venture between researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine and Cornell Tech, founded through the Runway Startup program at the Jacobs Technion-Cornell Institute at Cornell Tech.

Asia conference highlights Cornell's sustainability efforts

A conference in Hong Kong April 6-7 brought together 80 researchers and practitioners in Asia and the United States to share sustainable practices and solutions.

CURB enthusiasm: Undergrads show off research at forum

More than 80 students unveiled their scholarly work at the 32nd annual Spring Research Forum hosted April 27 by the Cornell Undergraduate Research Board.

Cornell students swelter in D.C. to cool a warming Earth

Cornell undergraduates joined 200,000 green advocates to parade down Washington's Pennsylvania Avenue for the Peoples Climate March April 29 – in sultry heat – to advocate for rescuing the world from environmental deterioration.

Michael Pollan recalls journey from garden to the best-seller list

Author Michael Pollan described his journey as a writer about food and nature, beginning with his first book about gardening, April 27 in the Jill and Ken Iscol Distinguished Environmental Lecture.

Collaboration yields promising innovation in stain resistance

A collaboration of researchers from engineering and fiber science has yielded a promising new polymer that could change the way textiles achieve oleophobicity, the ability to repel oils.

Museum upgrades climate controls, reduces energy use

Sustainability improvements, including new climate control technology, at the Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art have cut overall energy usage by 40 percent.