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
3/30/22
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. The Princeton Review tallied Green Rating scores for 835 colleges for the 2022 ratings. The Green Rating, which is scored 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.
UB’s climate action efforts rank No. 1 in the world in THE Impact Rankings
3/30/22
UB is the global leader in higher education when it comes to climate action. That’s according to the 2021 Times Higher Education Impact Rankings, which rate UB No. 1 in addressing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) pertaining to climate action. UB is ranked No. 2 out of 560 institutions globally and No. 1 in the U.S. in SDG 7, which captures institutional commitment to affordable and clean energy.
UB Places 10th on America's Top Colleges for Renewable Energy
4/9/21
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 Tops MAC in Green Power Usage
2/8/24
For the second straight year, UB tops the Mid-American Conference (MAC) in green power usage, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s 2018-19 College and University Green Power Challenge. Of the 36 conference winners this year, UB ranks No. 2 in green power usage.
UB Achieves STARS gold
4/9/21
Due to UB's continued committment to sustainability, the university has been recognized by AASHE, Advancement for Sustainability in Higher Education as a STARS gold university. As a result, the university is now placed in the top 1.6 percent of colleges and universities in North America.
UB ranked among nation’s 25 Best Green Colleges, according to College Consensus
2/8/24
UB came in at No. 22 on College Consensus’ 25 Best Green Colleges list, which highlights the nation’s leading institutions in sustainability. UB was recognized for its ability to generate its own green power thanks to the Solar Strand, SteelWinds and other efforts, as well as its leadership of Localizing Buffalo’s Renewable Energy Future.
UB tops MAC in green power usage
4/9/21
UB beat its conference rivals by using more than 219 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of green power, representing 100 percent of the school’s annual electricity use. That’s equivalent to the electricity use of nearly 21,000 average American homes annually. UB had the second-highest kilowatt-hours usage.
UB moves up five spots in sustainability ranking
2/8/24
UB moved up five spots on Sierra Club magazine’s “Cool Schools” ranking for 2017. The university landed at No. 52, up from 57 last fall, on the environmental group’s annual list of schools that are ahead of the curve when it comes to sustainability.
UB Earns Kudos for Engaging WNY Businesses in Sustainability Efforts
2/8/24
UB was highlighted in the 2016 Sustainable Campus Index in the Public Engagement section (AASHE) for its efforts in advancing sustainability in higher education. UB was mentioned specifically for the partnership it created with Erie County and area business leaders to form the Western New York Sustainable Business Roundtable.
Princeton Review ranks UB among nation's Top 50 Green Colleges
3/30/22
UB is among the 50 most environmentally responsible colleges in the nation, according to The Princeton Review’s Guide to 361 Green Colleges, which profiles colleges with the highest commitment to sustainability based on their academic offerings and career preparation for students, campus policies, initiatives and activities.
UB receives EPA Green Power Leadership Award
3/23/21
UB received a 2016 Green Power Leadership Award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). UB was one of only three organizations nationwide to be chosen as a Green Power Partner of the Year. With this award, EPA recognizes Green Power Partners who distinguish themselves through their leadership, overall strategy and impact on the green power market.
Sierra Clubs ranks UB 52 out of 227 "cool schools"
9/8/17
UB was ranked 52 out of 227 "cool schools" of 2017 by the Sierra Club. The Sierra Club's rankings are based on sustainability (AASHE) ratings.
UB wins Governor Cuomo's Energy to Lead competition and $1 million
3/23/21
In May 2016, UB won $1 million as part of Governor Cuomo's Energy to Lead competition. This money will help to bring 100 megawatts of new, locally produced solar energy to Buffalo within the next four years and will provide new experiential learning opportunities for students.
EPA ranks UB No. 1 Green Power Partner
3/23/21
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.
Environmental Champion Award from Environmental Protection Agency
4/9/21
UB's commitment to solving pressing environmental issues, educating students about these challenges and operating eco-friendly campuses has been recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) with the Environmental Champion Award. The EPA also named UB the Mid-American Conference (MAC) champion for renewable energy usage.
The Wall Street Journal recognizes UB Solar Strand on list of ‘Best Architecture of 2014’
3/23/21
An article in The Wall Street Journal listing "The Best Architecture of 2014" includes UB’s Solar Strand, calling the 3,200-panel, ground-mounted photovoltaic array a “small but telling model of landscape architecture at its most forward-thinking.”
UB recognized as a top ‘green’ university
3/30/22
UB was named among the 50 most “green” universities in the U.S. by Online Schools Center, a website that features higher education news. UB came in at #34 and highlighted numerous environmentally friendly initiatives at the university, among them the Sustainability Academy, the Solar Strand and waste-reduction programs.
UB receives ‘Best of Green Schools’ honor
3/23/21
The U.S. Green Building Council Center for Green Schools named UB one of the 2014 “Best of Green Schools” recipients. The awards recognize 10 individuals, institutions, projects and events representing national leaders and innovators in school sustainability.
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.
Green Building
3/21/21
We have made a commitment to sustainable buildings. Greiner Hall debuted in August 2011 and represented the first LEED gold designed student residence hall in the State University of New York System and also was designed with the practice of Universal Design in mind.