Plan 2030 Implementation Pathways
Implementation of Plan 2030 can be separated into two areas of focus: Building Net Zero (BNZ) and Living Net Zero (LNZ). Both are essential to reaching the University's commitment of net zero emissions by 2050 or sooner.

Actions Columbia’s schools, departments, and individuals can take to reduce environmental impact and contribute to Columbia’s sustainability goals.

Refers to the operational decisions of the University surrounding energy systems, construction, and other high-level activities that result in Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions.

Greenhouse Gas Protocol
The Greenhouse Gas Protocol classifies an organization’s GHG emissions into three “Scopes” for tracking and reporting. To learn more about how each of the Scopes fit into Columbia's Building Net Zero (BNZ) and Living Net Zero (LNZ) categories, see this PDF table.
Focus on Scope 3 Emissions
Think Tanks
Think Tanks are a series of collaborative workshops focused on cutting Scope 3 emissions at the school level.
In the Spring semester of 2024, the Office of Sustainability invited Columbia schools and key departments to participate in a series of think tank workshops to identify barriers and opportunities for impacting key sustainability topics. There was also a think tank group dedicated to hearing student perspectives. Topics included:
- Business Travel
- Purchasing of Goods
- Waste and Reuse
The Think Tank model was chosen to create collaborative spaces for key members of each school to come together, to broadening perspectives around the complex topic of Scope 3 emissions reduction.
Highlights from the Spring 2024 Think Tanks:
- The Office of Sustainability facilitated 9 collaborative workshops
- Sessions included 41 representatives from across 15 schools and key administrative units
- Student tract included 11 Columbia students, both undergraduate and graduate
- Workshop activities:
- Learned about industry best practices
- Reviewed Columbia and school-specific data to identify impact areas within business travel and procurement
- Discussed challenges and barriers around key topics, such as waste sorting education and waste data analysis
- Identified strategies and actions for moving forward on key topics
The Think Tanks yielded new insight as to how schools and departments can positively impact key Scope 3 sustainability topics. High level:
- Schools and departments desire guidance from the Office of Sustainability on best practices and tactics to impacting sustainability goals within their areas of oversight
- Representatives would like to see easy-to-implement, pre-vetted tools and pathways to drive behavioral changes that will contribute to Plan 2030 and Columbia’s greater sustainability objectives
Moving forward the Office of Sustainability will :
- Choose opportunities around which to advance discussions
- Propose high level actions with leadership from key operational departments
- Structure programs that provide schools and departments with vetted, streamlined pathways to make a difference in waste, procurement, and business travel
- Leverage our Campus as a Lab program to facilitate research, identify best practices, and develop initiatives
- Regroup with Think Tank participants to review new directions and strategies for impacting key Scope 3 emission categories and seek feedback
The Office of Sustainability will develop these initiatives and update the Living Net Zero with new initiatives and invite schools and departments to participate.
Want to get involved?
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Call Daniel Allalemdjian from the Office of Sustainability at 212-854-5571 or email emailing [email protected] for more information
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Invite the Office of Sustainability to meet and present to your leadership team
Think Tank Focus Areas
Business Travel
This Think Tank analyzes travel data, looks at best practice research, and thinks of creative ways to influence the campus community to use alternatives to flying.
A large portion of Columbia's emissions are from business- and Columbia-related air travel. Traveling is necessary for Columbia to achieve its mission, but there are ways to lessen its impact on the environment. This Think Tank area looks at travel data, best practice research, and creative ways to grow awareness for the consideration of alternatives to flying.
Purchasing of Goods
This Think Tank reviews best-practice purchasing guidelines and Columbia's departmental data to develop ideas for tracking and reducing emissions from procurement of goods and services.
A significant portion of Columbia’s emissions come from creating and transporting the goods and services Columbia procures. This group reviews best practice purchasing guidelines and Columbia's purchasing data to develop ideas that departments can implement to track and reduce emissions from procurement. This group works to influence the reduction of copy paper, single use items, and plastic water bottles on campus through limiting the purchasing of such products.
Waste and Reuse
This Think Tank develops ideas to improve waste diversion at Columbia by increasing the rate of recycling compliance and correct sorting on campus, as well as minimizing personal waste.
This Think Tank comprises students and staff members charged with developing ideas to improve waste diversion at Columbia. The group learns about recycling in New York City and waste collection at Columbia, and comes up with creative ideas to help increase the rate of recycling compliance and correct sorting by everyone on campus. The group also thinks about ways to reduce consumption of single use items and minimizing personal waste.
Living Net Zero News
Data-Driven Dining: How Columbia is Using Analytics to Cut Carbon Emissions
By joining the Mayor's Plant-Powered Carbon Challenge, Columbia University is leveraging data and analytics to reshape its menus and minimize food-related carbon emissions.
Meet the Student Interns Contributing to a More Sustainable Columbia
Columbia students support critical sustainability work, applying what they are mastering in their course of study to on-campus operations. Meet this year's interns who are helping to drive work in partnership with the Office of Sustainability.
Office of Sustainability and Student Groups Meet to Connect Efforts
Aim to address information gaps in student groups, create synergy between related groups and highlight progress