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.


Lyrebird vocal diversity reduced in fragmented habitat

The Albert’s lyrebird is a talented mimic, but as its rainforest habitat in Australia shrinks, so does the number of sounds that the bird can produce, degrading lyrebird culture.

Cornell research informs ‘nature finance’ for biodiversity negotiators

Cornell researchers are proposing novel approaches to account for the true value of nature to the global financial bottom line.

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Cornell startup Carbon To Stone enters carbon removal pre-purchase agreement with Frontier

The $500,000 pre-purchase agreement is intended to support technology developed in the lab of Greeshma Gadikota and licensed through Cornell University’s Center for Technology Licensing.

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Biodegradable medical gowns may add to greenhouse gas

Due to faster decomposition, disposable and plasticized biodegradable medical gowns introduce greenhouse gas discharge problems in landfills, according to new Cornell engineering research.

Soil health summit connects farmers, researchers, policymakers

Cornell hosted the second New York Soil Health Summit Dec. 13, bringing together those who aim to assist growers in mitigating and adapting to climate change while protecting farmer livelihoods and rural economies.

Library-lending partnership gets a reboot

Borrow Direct takes a giant leap forward with open-source software.

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Doctoral student co-authors global plastics declaration

Cornell doctoral candidate Bethany Jorgensen co-authored the 2022 Lanzarote Declaration – a synthesized wish list of action in anticipation of a U.N. treaty on global plastic pollution in 2024.

Cornell leads $3M project to grow organic dry bean industry

Cornell AgriTech is leading a multidisciplinary research project to increase the sustainability of the organic dry bean industry in the Northeast and upper Midwest by overcoming production challenges while developing improved management practices that build soil health and resilience to climate change. 

Electric car sales drive toward cleaner air, less mortality

The continued sales growth of electric passenger vehicles will be having a greener, cleaner influence on air pollution in most metro U.S. regions, all the while reducing human death by mid-century.