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.


Cornellians lead Lancet special issue on improving planetary diets

Cornell’s Food Systems and Global Change group coordinated a special issue of The Lancet Planetary Health, which advocates for transforming food systems to ensure sustainability and healthy diets for everyone. 

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How biodiversity startups raise capital

Biodiversity startups raise less capital than other startups but attract a broader coalition of investors, according to a new analysis that used machine learning to sift through venture capital databases.

Grow-NY finalists estimate upstate impact ahead of summit

Twenty startup finalists will pitch their food and agriculture businesses – and their potential to impact upstate New York – for up to $1 million at the Grow-NY Summit, Nov. 12-13 at the Hotel Canandaigua.

Faculty win Bezos grants to use AI for environmental challenges

Cornell has won three of 15 major grants from the Bezos Earth Fund, awarded to leverage artificial intelligence in the fight against climate change and environmental challenges.

Cornell Atkinson postdoctoral fellows aim to improve food security, climate, clean water

Cornell Atkinson has announced its 2025 Postdoctoral Fellows, who work jointly with a Cornell advisor and an external advisor from a partner organization to advance sustainability research. 

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Sprayable RNA pesticide works best when potato beetles are small

The first sprayable insecticide made of RNA can target and kill ravenous Colorado potato beetles while sparing most beneficial insects, making it a promising environmentally friendly option.

Botanic Gardens’ Director to Retire

Christopher P. Dunn, PhD, executive director of Cornell Botanic Gardens, retires at the end of 2025. He led the organization into a new era of relevance to the university, community, and world, with a focused mission on conserving biological and cultural diversity. 

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New view of electrocatalytic intermediates could boost hydrogen production

Researchers used single-molecule super-resolution reaction imaging to gain a clearer view of what happens, and where, in surface metal-hydrogen intermediates, which spark electrocatalytic transformations.

Reusable nanofiber membrane filters water sustainably

A Cornell research group has developed a cyclodextrin-based fibrous membrane that in lab testing removed approximately 90% of aqueous triclosan, an antibacterial agent that poses a threat to aquatic organisms.