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.


Pump heralds a fossil fuel-free future at child care center

So long, natural gas heat: Let the Earth warm little fingers and toes. Building a new, environmentally friendly heating and cooling system at the Cornell Child Care Center will start in late summer.

The 2030 Project to marshal faculty to solve climate crisis

Declaring this the “decisive decade” for climate action, Cornell launched The 2030 Project: A Climate Initiative, which will mobilize world-class faculty to develop and accelerate tangible solutions to the climate challenge.

3D-printing robot enables sustainable construction

The Bovay Civil Infrastructure Laboratory Complex has a new tenant: a roughly 6,000-pound industrial robot capable of 3D printing large-scale structures that could make construction more sustainable.

Veterinarian ecologist to bolster pandemic prevention efforts

Scholar who studies cross-species pathogen spillover to join the College of Veterinary Medicine and become a Cornell Atkinson Scholar.   

Around Cornell

New Frontier Grants push boundaries in A&S research

The College of Arts and Sciences awarded $1.25 million in grants to faculty members pursuing critical developments in areas ranging from quantum materials to sustainable technologies.

Western municipal water restraints rise as reservoirs fall

As water restrictions tighten in Southern California, the Southwest U.S. sees growing evidence of climate change and drought for millions of western residents, according to a Cornell drought expert.

Book addresses future of local and global agri-food systems

A new open-access book constitutes the most authoritative study on the future of local and global agri-food systems, exploring the challenges of today and envisioning potential food systems scenarios through 2070.

Startups flourish in Cornell’s clean energy ecosystem

Clean energy entrepreneurs and startups find an innovative, powerful ecosystem at Cornell that supports the transition to a sustainable, decarbonized economy.

Light-infused particles go the distance in organic semiconductors

A Cornell-led project found a way to tune the speed and increase the range of energy flow in organic semiconductors, an approach that could eventually lead to more efficient solar cells, sensors and LEDs.