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.


Saving the planet, one shade-grown cup at a time

Ecologist and conservation biologist Amanda Rodewald studies birds and the ecosystems on which they depend, looking for the best outcomes for people and the planet. This approach turned her attention to coffee farms.

Cornell announces moratorium on fossil fuel investments

With support from the Cornell Board of Trustees, the university has instituted a moratorium on new private investments focused on fossil fuels and plans to grow the endowment's investments in alternative energy technologies.

Cornell farm tractor gets clean, green biodiesel makeover

A week before Cornell's campus shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic, members of an engineering student group converted a university-owned diesel tractor into a clean, green farming machine.

Complex dynamics of water shortages highlighted in study

A mathematical model developed by Cornell engineers uses advanced methods to assess how water users in the Colorado River basin might be individually affected by changes in climate and demand, and how their water shortages might differ.

Students reflect on engaged experiences, leadership

Students reflected on their learning experiences and future goals in community engagement as they completed a leadership certificate program this spring.

Cornell Atkinson awards five more COVID-19 rapid grants

The proliferation of medical misinformation on social media and the human experience of social distancing are among the pandemic-related topics to receive rapid response grants from the Cornell Atkinson Center for Sustainability.

Cornell Research announces SARS-CoV-2 seed grant program

The Office of the Vice Provost for Research has announced a new seed grant mechanism to fund preliminary investigations into medical and biological aspects of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.

Cabin project upcycles ash trees for sustainable architecture

Architecture professors Leslie Lok and Sasa Zivkovic designed and built a cabin in Tompkins County highlighting sustainable use of materials — wood from ash trees and 3D-printed concrete.

Leaders share global climate change stories, solutions

Members of Cornell’s Humphrey Fellowship Program shared stories of struggle and hope, as their countries grapple with climate change, during “Global Climate Stories,” an April 22 webinar.