The Campus Sustainability Office empowers, equips, and engages our diverse partners to catalyze a sustainable campus transformation. We envision Cornell University as a carbon neutral, living laboratory for sustainability innovation; a place where every Cornellian can make a positive impact on social, environmental, and economic progress.  

The Campus Sustainability Office maintains the Sustainable Campus website with full information about programs, initiatives, and resources for creating a sustainable campus. 

Highlights: 
Cornell University has maintained a Platinum Rating (the highest) from the Association for Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) since 2020, and is currently the only Ivy League institution to be Platinum certified. As measured by STARS, Cornell is the only institution of higher education to received the highest possible sustainability rating - STARS Platinum - for five years running. As of Spring 2023, only 13 campuses in the world hold a Platinum rating.

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Climate Action

• Cornell is committed to reaching carbon neutrality by 2035. The Climate Action Plan is a living document to guide this process.   

Governance

• The Sustainable Cornell Council (SCC) is responsible for directing and coordinating Cornell’s role as a leader in addressing climate change and sustainability, advancing campus sustainability, and fostering engagement in sustainability from the campus community. The Council oversees implementation of the campus Sustainability Plan and Climate Action Plan and progress reporting on our goals.  

Campus Initiatives for Sustainability 

• Cornell is working to create a sustainable campus by tackling projects related to water, food, social justice, and more. Learn more about each topic by exploring the Sustainable Campus website. 

Reporting

• Cornell is a signatory of the Second Nature Carbon Commitment and participates in AASHE STARS Reporting to publicly track our sustainability progress, offering transparency to the Cornell community and our stakeholders. We are also annually ranked and often receive accolades from Princeton Review, Sierra Club, and other national collegiate rating programs.