UB is the size of a small city, with hundreds of buildings and miles of road. We use electricity, fuel and countless other resources to keep our campuses running. Thousands of students, faculty and staff travel here every day.

Our environmental footprint is significant.

But crucially, as an early signatory of the American College and University Presidents' Climate Commitment, UB and locally based Ecology and Environment has developed a comprehensive strategic plan to minimize our adverse impact on the environment.

Our Climate Action Plan calls for UB to become climate neutral by 2030.

To achieve this goal, we brought together leaders from across UB to form the Environmental Stewardship Committee, a group of administrators, faculty and students charting UB's path towards climate neutrality and sustainability.

The committee is heading efforts to implement efficiencies throughout UB's operations and leading the conversation on how the university can weave sustainability into research, teaching and public service activities.

As UB moves closer to climate neutrality, the actions of every student, staff and faculty member matter. Discover how UB is greening its operations—and learn how you can make a difference.

The Sustainability Tracking Assessment and Rating System (STARS) is a transparent, self-reporting framework for colleges and universities to measure their sustainability performance.

STARS was developed by our higher education colleagues and is administered by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE).

Through a course, UB student researchers assist in gathering information from across the university to inform the STARS process and establish the State of UB’s Sustainability.

Faculty and staff involved in the process are being engaged throughout the year to ensure clear communication of our efforts.

The STARS report will indicate a number of our strengths, but also areas where we can improve and continue to reduce our environmental footprint on the future.