UB Sustainability

New electric vehicle charging stations have been installed at the Beane Lot on North Campus for university-owned vehicles.

UB moves to decarbonize the North Campus

5/15/26

UB is taking a major step toward carbon neutrality with a Clean Energy Master Plan that modernizes aging infrastructure, reduces emissions, and reshapes how energy flows across the North Campus.

Hochul announces $68M for UB decarbonization project

5/15/26

UB’s clean energy master plan received a major boost with $68 million to decarbonize the central utility plant, create energy hubs and thermal energy networks, and build geothermal wells as part of a campus-wide effort to phase out fossil fuel-based systems and replace them with on-site electrical systems.

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GRoW Clean Energy Center

Hired Boutique

UB’s Recycling Guidelines

Watch the UB Falcons

UB’s Climate Action Plan

Sustainability News

Social Impact Fellows program places students at WNY nonprofits
8/24/26
UB's Social Impact Fellows were in action this summer, interning at various nonprofits across WNY. From housing insecurity to food access, students worked to develop impactful, sustainable solutions in our community.
School of Management again recognized with Positive Impact Rating
8/21/26
The UB School of Management’s social impact and community engagement have again been internationally recognized by the Positive Impact Rating for Business Schools.
Architecture, indigenous studies professors receive Mellon grant to plan public greenspace in Medina
8/5/26
Two University at Buffalo professors have received a grant to plan a public greenspace in Medina, NY, along the Erie Canal. The project’s goal is to spotlight the relationship between native fruits and New York’s indigenous, colonial, and commercial histories, with a particular focus on apples.

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Top 10 on America's Top Colleges for Renewable Energy Ranking

7/10/25

UB is No. 10 on the Environment America list, which was compiled by gathering data from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) and ranking 180 qualifying colleges using their Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS) scores from the past three years.

UB again ranks among nation’s best in measure of global health, climate action, sustainability research

7/10/25

UB ranks among the top 20 colleges and universities in the U.S. for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, working to alleviate poverty and enhancing global health through innovative research, according to the Times Higher Education (THE) Impact Rankings of sustainability measures.

UB among Top 25 in U.S. for environmental, social impact

12/16/24

UB has been recognized as one of the top universities in the world — and a Top 25 university in the U.S. — for environmental and social impact. That’s according to the 2025 edition of the QS World University Rankings: Sustainability, released by higher education analyst QS Quacquarelli Symonds.

UB Ranked Among Nation’s 25 Best Green Colleges

7/10/25

UB came in at No. 22 on College Consensus’ 25 Best Green Colleges list, highlighting the nation’s leading institutions in sustainability. UB was recognized for its ability to generate its green power thanks to the Solar Strand, SteelWinds, and other efforts and its leadership in Localizing Buffalo’s Renewable Energy Future.

EPA: Green Power Partnership National Top 100

7/10/25

The University at Buffalo is honored to rank among the EPA’s Green Power Partnership National Top 100, thanks to our leadership in using clean, renewable solar and wind power.

UB’s climate action efforts rank No. 1 in the world in THE Impact Rankings

8/12/25

UB is the global leader in higher education when it comes to climate action, according to the 2021 Times Higher Education Impact Rankings, which rank UB No. 1 in the world in addressing the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) related to climate action.

UB wins Environmental Excellence Award from the NY DEC

7/10/25

UB reduced its carbon footprint by 33% each of the last three years by transitioning to renewable energy sources through a host of initiatives and leveraging innovative power purchase agreements to assist with its goal of achieving 100% renewable energy.

UB recognized as bicycle-friendly university

7/10/25

The League of American Bicyclists, the premier grassroots advocacy organization encouraging better bicycling and protecting the rights of people who bike, honored the University at Buffalo with a silver-level Bicycle Friendly University Award in recognition of the institution’s achievements in promoting and enabling safe, accessible bicycling on campus.

UB Achieves STARS gold

7/10/25

The University at Buffalo has demonstrated a strong commitment to sustainability, earning recognition from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) as a STARS gold university. This achievement places UB among the top 1.6 percent of colleges and universities in North America.

UB Named to Princeton Review’s Green College Honor Roll

7/10/25

UB was named to The Princeton Review’s 2022 Green College Honor Roll for earning the highest possible score in the publication’s Green Rating. For the 2022 ratings, The Princeton Review tallied Green Rating scores for 835 colleges. The Green Rating, which ranges from 6o to a maximum of 99, provides a comprehensive measure of a school's performance as an environmentally aware and prepared institution.

UB Recognized as a Top ‘Green’ University

7/10/25

The University at Buffalo has been recognized as one of the 50 most environmentally friendly universities in the United States by Online Schools Center, a website dedicated to higher education news. UB ranked #23 and was noted for its various eco-friendly initiatives, which include finding ways to supply affordable renewable energy to communities, assessing our local food system to increase access to healthy fruits and vegetables and promoting zero-waste in on-campus activites.

Climate Action Plan

7/10/25

UB developed a world-class climate action plan with one-, three- and five-year goals for six committees that span the university’s sustainability spectrum.

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