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.


China’s pollution declines came at a cost

China’s Scientific Outlook on Development program, which tied local leaders’ job performance evaluations to environmental quality improvements, had negative impacts on the country's agricultural economy, researchers found.

Climate change leaves northern tree swallows most vulnerable

Tree swallows in the northern U.S. and Canada face the greatest risk from climate change despite responding to temperature the same way as tree swallows in the southern U.S.

East Coast broccoli lowers costs and risks from California drought

Expanding broccoli production on the East Coast and outside of California can help stabilize fresh produce supply chains that are vulnerable to water shortages. 

There may be 3 times as many insect species than previously thought

A new estimate of insect species globally finds that there may be 8 to 14 million more species than people thought, with few of them discovered.  

Cornell Yang Center for Wildlife Health awards seed funding to five conservation efforts around the globe

The CCF provides catalytic seed funding to spark pioneering applied research to advance wildlife conservation solutions. The fund prioritizes initiatives that improve the health of free-ranging wildlife and/or solve environmental problems via a One Health lens.

Around Cornell

Getting warmer: Slower forest growth means less carbon storage

A new ecological discovery – that global warming is slowing tree growth – means current climate predictions could overestimate forests’ potential for carbon storage by as much as 30%.

Sustainable ag finance leadership training connects industry leaders

Cornell Atkinson hosted its first executive education program – the Resilient Futures Leadership Program: Financing Sustainable Agriculture – with partner Field to Market. The successful program will be offered twice more over the next two years. 

Around Cornell

Researchers find ‘trap’ hindering performance of hybrid perovskites

A new study from Cornell researchers has revealed an obstacle to improving charge transport in hybrid perovskites, a promising class of semiconductor materials used in energy conversion and electronic devices.

‘Double the damage’: Warming climate reduces milk quality and quantity

Heat stress on dairy cows not only decreases the amount of milk produced but also the fat and protein content, doubling the economic losses.