Sustainability

At UB, we recognize that the quality of our lives, and the economy of our region, nation and world are increasingly tied to how we develop and deliver energy and manufactured products, how we use and sustain our natural resources, and how human activities alter and impact the environment. Situated between two Great Lakes, UB is surrounded by fresh water, fossil deposits, farms, and stunning biodiversity. This unique area provides opportunities for studying climate resiliency and is a wonderful home base to support impactful clean energy and environmental research, scholarship and engagement. UB has a longstanding commitment to environmental sustainability. From our groundbreaking research on the environmental disaster at Love Canal to the collaborations currently being supported by our RENEW Institute and our innovative sustainability efforts across campus, UB has made environmental sustainability a top priority.

UB has attracted significant national attention in recent years for our sustainability efforts, including being ranked among the top green universities in the nation by the EPA, Princeton Review, Environment America Research and Policy Center, U.S. Green Building Council, Sierra Club, College Consensus, and Online Schools Center, among others. UB was ranked No. 1 in the world in addressing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal pertaining to climate action by Times Higher Education, and we ranked first in the EPA’s Green Power Partnership list of the largest college and university green power users. In addition, UB has earned STARS Gold rating by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education, and we have more than 10 buildings certified under the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system. In her fall 2022 visit to UB to discuss climate action, Vice President Kamala Harris recognized our university as a model for sustainability work.

Through the Advancing Top 25 faculty hiring initiative, UB will continue building our strength and impact in sustainability. Areas of interest include carbon capture science, innovative hydrogen technology, clean materials for smart infrastructures; evolution and ecology; geophysics; hydrology; intelligent and sustainable civic infrastructure systems; nanomaterials for green energy applications; smart and clean energy systems; and urbanism and/or land development economics.