Journey Markers

Our History

Fifty years ago, millions of people across the United States took part in more than 12,000 events to mark the first Earth Day. That moment sparked a movement that led to great change. At UB, it signaled the beginning of five decades of advancing environmental stewardship and sustainability. To mark this occasion we have gathered the following key achievements that have occurred over the past five decades.

2024 Roll out of greenhouse gas emission carbon intensity rating system for food courts
2024 new mass transit contract transitions nearly 50% of buses to electric
2024 North Campus Clean Energy Master Plan launched to create a decarbonization plan for the North Campus
2023 UB hosts the Nature Conservancy’s Voices, Choice and Action summit bringing together over 150 global indigenous leaders
2023 South Campus Clean Energy Master Plan completed and establishes a roadmap for the decarbonization of the South Campus
2023 UB Climate Action Plan introduces three Integrators to compliment strategy: Climate Action, Resilience, and Leveraging the Academy
2022 Climate Action Captains release initial emission reduction strategies at annual Earth Day Climate Action Update
2022 UB initiates front of house composting options with the opening of One World Cafe
2022 UB launches Student Sustainability Impact Team which provides sustainability services across campus
2022 UB “flips the switch” on new campus solar installation making it one of the largest on-campus producers of renewable energy in higher education
2021 the NYS DEC awards UB its Annual Environmental Excellence Award
2021 UB begins to scale EV charging by offering over 30 charging units on campus
2021 The GRoW Clean Energy Center opens and is permanently located adjacent to the Solar Strand
2021 Times Higher Education University Impact Rankings recognize UB No. 3 in climate action among 250 institutions worldwide and No. 1 in the United States
2020 UB College of Arts and Sciences receives $3 million Mellon grant to formally establish the Indigenous Studies Department
2020 UB announces innovative 10 in 10 plan to achieve climate neutrality by 2030

2019 the student Carbon Reduction Challenge initiative launched
2019 Sustainability (Superstar) Stories launched
2019 UB’s virtual food pantry, Blue Table opens
2019 First Sustainability Camp offered with School of Engineering
2019 UB College of Arts and Sciences creates Dept. of Environment and Sustainability
2018 UB opens LEED Gold Medical School
2017 UB student teams begin participating in Erie Hack and World’s Challenge Challenge innovation competitions advancing the time between entrepreneurship, purpose, and sustainability
2017 UB commits to inclusive excellence in all aspects of university operations and creates Office of Inclusive Excellence
2016 UBReUSE move-out collection program established
2016 First ELFS: Education and Leadership Fellows in Sustainability cohort created. Students deep dive into sustainability with a chance to develop a program to decrease UB’s environmental impacts.
2016 UB wins New York State Energy to Lead award to advance scaling renewables
2016 UB Receives EPA Green Power Leadership Award
2015 UB Receives STARS Gold status by AASHE (repeating this designation in 2018 and 2022)
2015 Annual Sustainable Leadership, Innovation and Collaborative Engagement (SLICE) awards established
2015 UB School of A&P places 2nd nationally in Solar Decathlon with the GRoW Home
2014 the Western New York Sustainable Business Roundtable created with UB anchoring support
2014 RENEW Institute created
2013 UB launches first group of EV charging units
2013 One Region Forward launched, a collaborative effort to guide sustainable development in Erie & Niagara Counties
2013 UB launches bike share program
2012 UB hosts SUNY-wide Sustainability Conference
2012 UB submits 1st AASHE STARS report to track & measure sustainability performance across university operations
2012 first Earth Week activities on campus
2012 UB celebrates opening of several LEED buildings (including the first LEED residence hall) and the Solar Strand. The Strand becomes the most publicly accessible renewable energy landscape in the country
2010 UB begins processing of pre-consumer compost on campus
2010 WNY Environmental Alliance created with UB anchoring support

2009 UB releases first Climate Action Plan, and sets 2030 goal for carbon neutrality
2007 UB becomes initial signatory of American College and University Presidents’ Climate Commitment
2007 Greener Shade of Blue campaign brings renowned environmentalists to campus for Distinguished Speakers series including Vice President, Al Gore; Jean Michel Cousteau; and Nobel Prize winner, Wangari Maathi
2006 UB unveils its 1st solar electric system generating 73.5 kW to help power Norton Hall
2004 UB publishes "UB High Performance Building Guidelines" as a model for sustainable construction
2003 UB achieves the first LEED building designation in WNY for Creekside Village Community Center
2003 UB becomes NY’s largest purchaser of wind energy & named “Environmentalist of the Year” for efforts by Environmental Advocates of NY
2002 “Green home” prototypes designed by School of Architecture & Planning students win top prize at Northeast Sustainable Energy Associations’ “Building Energy 2002 Conference”

1999 UB President William Greiner signs international Talloires Declaration, committed to environmental sustainability in teaching, research, service, and operations
1998 UB receives Association of Energy Engineers “Energy Project of the Year” Award
1998 UB Environment & Society Institute created to promote interdisciplinary research to resolve local environmental problems
1995 National Wildlife Federation recognizes UB’s energy conservation leadership within higher education
1990 Environmental Task Force (ETF) established by faculty, staff & students committed to reducing UB’s environmental footprint and advances policies to reduce UB’s environmental impacts

1987 UB receives $2.6 million energy conservation grant
1985 Great Lakes Program created
1982 UB hires first Energy Officer and establishes “Conserve UB”

1978 Prof. Adeline Levine & students engage in Love Canal work
1977 UB Air Quality Program established
1976 Environmental Studies Center created
1972 UB starts recycling newspapers
1971 Rachel Carson College established to increase environmental education at UB
April 22, 1970 Ralph Nader celebrates the FIRST Earth Day at UB

Our Future

Dedicated students, faculty and staff identified the university’s key sustainability priorities and objectives as we continue to strive toward integrating sustainability across all aspects of our research, teaching, operations and engagement work. Below are the University Sustainability Objectives and committee level goals as put forth by the University’s Stewardship Committee and working groups.

Create the next generation of globally-minded, sustainably-literate citizens and leaders
Integrate sustainability into the fabric of campus culture
Develop circular UB economy
Mitigate and adapt to the new climate reality
Build a resilient and sustainable Buffalo/Niagara region

Increase student opportunities to learn and practice the principles of sustainability
Encourage faculty to integrate sustainability into curriculum by developing flexible modules
Provide incentives and support for faculty to develop new sustainability curriculum
Develop sustainability curricular component requirement for students prior to graduation
Incorporate concepts of “sustainability” in existing UB research at all levels
Encourage new research that supports the simultaneous consideration of environmental, economic, and social systems and the long-term viability of these systems.
Encourage wide dissemination of research outputs to increase research impact

Create a zero waste economy
Reduce average energy consumption by 20% by 2020 and achieve climate neutrality by 2030
Encourage design excellence and robust, sustainable land use policies
Use physical infrastructure and operations as a teaching tool for sustainability

Build community by setting examples and model desired behaviors
Communicate values clearly and establish visible presence of sustainable practices
Provide authentic opportunities for contribution

Our Points of Pride

UB Named to Princeton Review’s Green College Honor Roll
11/19/24
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 wins Environmental Excellence Award from the NY DEC
3/30/22
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.
Top 10 on America's Top Colleges for Renewable Energy Ranking
11/19/24
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 Achieves STARS gold
11/19/24
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 Ranked Among Nation’s 25 Best Green Colleges
11/19/24
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.
UB Tops MAC in Green Power Usage
11/19/24
The University at Buffalo led its conference rivals by using over 219 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of green power, representing 100 percent of its annual electricity needs—enough to power nearly 21,000 average American homes. UB also ranked second in total kilowatt-hours consumed.
EPA Ranks UB No. 1 Green Power Partner
11/19/24
UB ranks first on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Green Power Partnership list of the largest college and university green power users. UB fulfills 100% of its energy needs, an annual 213 million kilowatt hours (kWh), with zero-emission, clean energy.
UB Recognized as Environmental Champion by EPA
11/19/24
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has recognized UB's commitment to solving pressing environmental issues, educating students about these challenges, and operating eco-friendly campuses with the Environmental Champion Award. The EPA also named UB the Mid-American Conference (MAC) champion for renewable energy usage.
UB Recognized as a Top ‘Green’ University
11/19/24
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 #34 and was noted for its various eco-friendly initiatives, which include the Sustainability Academy, the Solar Strand, and waste reduction programs.
Top Honors
2/2/16
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has named UB one of its Top 10 College and University Green Power Partners.
Climate Action Plan
3/21/21
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.
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.