| Overall Rating | Platinum |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 86.33 |
| Liaison | Lisa Kilgore |
| Submission Date | March 1, 2024 |
Cornell University
PRE-2: Points of Distinction
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
N/A |
Leo
Chen STARS Coordinator Energy and Sustainability |
Name of the institution’s featured sustainability program, initiative, or accomplishment:
A brief description of the institution’s featured program, initiative, or accomplishment:
Starting in August 2020, all incoming undergraduate students (first-year and new transfer students) now complete a new sustainability module entitled "Mission Sustainability" as part of the student "To-Do List." This course includes four parts: a climate & sustainability literacy survey, a 13-minute video about sustainability at Cornell, an exploration of sustainability-related campus resources, and a short reflection essay.
The public does not have access but here is a link the students use: https://newstudents.cornell.edu/fall-2022/first-year
Which of the following impact areas does the featured program, initiative, or accomplishment most closely relate to?:
Campus Engagement
Wellbeing & Work
Website URL where more information about the accomplishment may be found:
STARS credit in which the featured program, initiative, or accomplishment is reported (if applicable):
A photograph or document associated with the featured program, initiative, or accomplishment:
Name of a second highlighted sustainability program/initiative/accomplishment:
A brief description of the second program/initiative/accomplishment:
Lake Source Cooling is one of the most significant environmental initiatives ever undertaken by an American university to promote a sustainable future. With its startup in July 2000, Lake Source Cooling (LSC) upgraded the central campus chilled water system to a more environmentally sound design that conserves energy and utilizes the deep cold waters of nearby Cayuga Lake.
The renewable resource tapped by LSC has reduced Cornell's reliance on fossil fuels. LSC saves over 20 million kWh per year versus previous cooling methods. This represents about an 85% reduction in energy use for campus cooling.
LSC is 20% of Cornell’s avoided emissions
Lifetime cost of avoiding emissions by LSC is double the average ($148 vs $70 per T CO2)
Nominal savings: $38.3M
Effective savings: $50M (2021 $)
Cost savings far exceed original estimates ($5M)
Which impact areas does the second program/initiative/accomplishment most closely relate to?:
Energy
Water
Website URL where more information about the second program/initiative/accomplishment may be found:
STARS credit in which the second program/initiative/accomplishment is reported (if applicable):
A photograph or document associated with the second program/initiative/accomplishment:
Name of a third highlighted program/initiative/accomplishment:
A brief description of the third program/initiative/accomplishment:
The Cornell University Women Leaders in Sustainability Fellowship (WLSF) was a one-year program (Academic Year '22) for graduate and undergraduate students aimed at advancing careers in sustainability. Selected fellows engage in personal leadership development, mentoring, and networking with acclaimed women leaders in sustainability, while being provided with a paid internship focused on designing and implementing a strategic project for climate and sustainability impact at Cornell. Past fellow's projects include research on low-carbon travel and carbon offsets and the development of living laboratory program.
Which impact areas does the third program/initiative/accomplishment most closely relate to?:
Campus Engagement
Diversity & Affordability
Website URL where more information about the third program/initiative/accomplishment may be found:
STARS credit in which the third program/initiative/accomplishment is reported (if applicable):
A photograph or document associated with the third program/initiative/accomplishment:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.