As we near the end of October, Campus Sustainability Month, we'd like to highlight the work being done across the university to contribute to a more sustainable future. Click here to read the full newsletter from October, 2021.
On Thursday, September 23, a panel of Columbia faculty, staff and student representatives discussed the University's ten-year sustainability plan – Plan 2030 – and goal to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. The virtual event included an overview of the plan and discussion about activity underway, noting the role that students and faculty play in meeting the University's goals. The event was coordinated as part of Columbia’s partnership in Climate Week.
As Climate Week NYC begins, the university explores creating a fully electrified campus. The Columbia Climate School is university partner of the weeklong climate showcase.
The information below is provided to support your decision-making and to encourage Columbia affiliates to make environmentally responsible decisions in this time of change.
Columbia released today a new sustainability plan outlining actions the University will take over the next 10 years to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. The plan provides a set of operational strategies and benchmarks, grounded in climate science. Click here to read the full newsletter from April, 2021.
The plan provides a set of operational strategies and benchmarks, grounded in science, for Columbia to achieve its ambitious sustainability goals.
Columbia University ranked third in the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)’s Top 30 College and University green power users across the United States as part of their Green Power Partnership (GPP). Columbia’s 100 percent zero emissions electricity from various sources, including solar and wind, provided 277,892,000 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of green power in 2020, behind the University of California and Arizona State University.
New York, NY – Columbia University was awarded Climate Registered™ Gold by The Climate Registry, a nonprofit organization that is governed by U.S. states and operates the Carbon Footprint Registry, which is North America’s largest voluntary registry for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Columbia earned this recognition by publicly reporting a third-party verified GHG emissions inventory for its operations. This data will enable them to track their climate initiatives and GHG reductions credibly over time.
Columbia University was recently recognized by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) as a Reforming the Energy Vision (REV) Campus Challenge leader for its efforts in implementing clean energy solutions across its campuses.