Collaborations

Startup and Innovation Collaboratory powered by Blackstone LaunchPad is a hub for entrepreneurship at UB, a destination for entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs to come together in the spirit of innovation. They offer many programs and engagement opportunities for students, alumni, faculty and staff to develop their skills and ideas as they become integral contributors to the larger WNY entrepreneurial ecosystem. 

Entrepreneurship is an important component to sustainability. Communities need to be economically resilient. The CoLab powered by Blackstone LaunchPad gives students the tools they need to bring their innovative spirit to life.

From pollinators, to waste, to local farms and food service employees, our food system is an important piece to our sustainability work. Campus Dining and Shops procures locally produced foods, moves to eliminate waste and assists in building infrastructure like our campus garden and orchard. 

The Career Design Center and UB Sustainability partner together to provide programming to students that are interested in entering the sustainability profession. Events have included panels from local sustainable businesses, in residencies with environmental leaders and networking sessions at the GRoW Center. 

The mission of University Facilities is to maintain a safe, healthy and attractive campus environment for UB students, faculty, staff and visitors by providing both direct and advisory services in the design, construction and maintenance of new and existing facilities that support the evolving needs of the university’s teaching, research and service mission. UB Sustainability works closely with Facilities to lessen our operational impact on the environment through innovation and experiential learning opportunities. 

Parking and Transportation works closely with UB Sustainability on advancing carbon-free pathways of commuting to campus. This involves increasing the infrastructure for biking, charging stations for electric cars and electrifying our fleet. 

Infusing sustainability into programs for students is one of our biggest vehicles to advancing the environmental knowledge and skills of our campus community. 

As a testament to the passion and commitment to all of the individuals on our campus, but the Professional Staff and Faculty Senates have committees dedicated to sustainability. Click below for more information on how to join. 

UB Sustainability is committed to working with the many great organizations in Western New York advancing programs and policy work to make our region more resilient. We look to provide technical assistance through faculty research and student coursework as well as service through volunteerism and internships. 

UB Sustainability has a staff of trained students that visit local schools to provide supplemental sustainability activities. 

We have a collection of curriculum such as building wind turbines, designing solar power cars, using food as a battery and many others. 

We've also partnered with the School of Engineering to host a Sustainability Camp for students in grades 8 and 9.

One Region Forward is a broad-based, collaborative effort to promote more sustainable forms of development in Erie and Niagara counties – the Buffalo Niagara Region – in land use, transportation, housing, energy and climate, access to food, and more. It will combine research and public engagement with planning and action to help us meet the combined economic, environmental, and social challenges of the 21st century.

UB supports the alliance’s work and lends the research and educational expertise of its faculty and staff to the organization. The WNY Environmental Alliance boosts collaboration among more than 90 organizations working on environmental issues throughout Buffalo Niagara, and works to advocate for the region’s environmental agenda.

The Western New York Sustainable Business Roundtable is a “business-driven” organization that relies on its member businesses to drive its mission and organize its events. Members are businesses that have employees in the Western New York region and have signed a pledge to create and implement a sustainability plan.

The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) is an international collection of colleges and universities that are committed to sustainability efforts on their campuses. Their mission is to "inspire and catalyze higher education to lead the global sustainability transformation." They provide resources for higher education to implement sustainable initiatives through a peer to peer network. AASHE also has developed a set of metrics to capture sustainability initiatives on college campuses. This is called the Sustainability Tracking Assessment and Rating System (STARS).

The New York Coalition of Sustainability in Higher Education (NYCSHE) It unites representatives of higher education and supporting organizations with a common interest to promote, sustain, and advocate for environmental, economic and social responsibility, as envisioned by the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.

NYSERDA Clean Green Campuses promotes clean energy efforts by recognizing and supporting NYS colleges and universities that implement clean energy projects and principles on campus, in the classroom, and in surrounding communities.  

Members include two- and four-year, public and private institutions from all regions of NYS.  From community colleges to state research universities to private liberal arts colleges, they represent New York’s leaders in institutional sustainability.  For more information and a complete list of current members, visit https://www.nyserda.ny.gov/All-Programs/Clean-Green-Campuses. 

As an institution of higher education, we recognize the unique position we are in to further clean energy adoption in New York State through our actions on campus, by training tomorrow's leaders, and by working with our local communities.

The Post-Landfill Action Network cultivates, educates, and inspires the student-led zero waste movement. We inform students about the waste crisis and equip them with the necessary skills and resources to implement solutions to waste in their campus communities. PLAN empowers our generation to be changemakers.

The SUNY Sustainability Coalition (SSC) is a subgroup of NYCSHE consisting of SUNY colleges and universities. The SSC serves as a state forum for sustainability initiatives, bringing together a broad spectrum of SUNY professionals to discuss issues critical to the acceleration, expansion and adoption of sustainable initiatives around curriculum, operations, research and engagement. The primary function of the group is to provide a voice for SUNY on sustainability issues, advocate for policies to further the sustainability goals of the system, increase awareness of accomplishments and advise system administration in the development of improved practices of sustainability.  The group supports and enhances the ability of its members to fulfill their responsibilities in order to achieve the sustainability goals of their respective institutions by providing a forum for members to address shared efficiencies, best practices, implementation strategies, and professional growth and training opportunities.