Ithaca College's solar farm in Geneva, NY
Ithaca College Sustainability
Carbon neutral by 2050 or sooner.
Sustainability at IC

At Ithaca College, our natural surroundings are our second campus. From Cayuga Lake to Buttermilk Falls to the Ithaca College Natural Lands, our natural environment is worth protecting, and we take this responsibility seriously. Ithaca College's faculty, staff and students are dedicated to prioritizing sustainability in all aspects of campus life. 

IC Sustainability is Managed by the Office of Energy Management and Sustainability (OEMS)

OEMS focuses on supporting institution-wide, environmental- and social justice-focused projects initiated across the Ithaca College campus. We strive to integrate sustainability into every aspect of student, faculty, and staff life, with a focus on the following areas:

Institution: Ithaca College sets goals for our campus to improve environmental, social, and financial sustainability. We are committed to achieving climate neutrality by 2050 or sooner.

Academics: We strive to integrate holistic sustainability into curricula across all departments on campus. 

Culture: We support and connect related groups and projects,  nurture the community-wide conversation on sustainability, and host events. Our goal is to equip students, faculty, and staff with the tools to engage their communities in environmental stewardship and social justice. 

Operations: Ithaca College establishes best practices for new campus development, retrofits, and building operations. 

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Save the Dates for the 2024 IC Sustainability Week beginning April 17th!

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Call for Nominations for the 2024 IC Sustainability Awards!

This spring, the IC Office of Energy Management and Sustainability will be presenting awards to a student, staff and faculty member, club, and community organization who have made significant environmental sustainability contributions to our campus and greater Ithaca community. A call for nominations is now open for the following categories:

  • The “Ripple Effect” Student Award – An award that recognizes a student whose work in sustainability has positively influenced both campus and the broader community.
  • The “Environmental Resilience” Staff Award – An award that recognizes a staff member that has advance campus sustainability work through both flexibility and dedication.
  • The “Eco-Blazer” Club Award – An award presented by the IC Eco Reps for a club or organization that has taken on a meaningful sustainability initiative.
  • The “Green Apple” Faculty Award – This award honors a faculty member who has made a positive campus community impact on a sustainability issue.
  • The “South Hill Sustainable Bridge” Community Award – This award honors a community organization or agency that provided excellent sustainability support to IC.

You are welcome to nominate either yourself or a person or group that you feel has made a difference in sustainability to our community. The awards will be presented during Sustainability Week during the week of April 22nd (Save the Date!). Nominations are due April 1st.

Please submit nominations via the nomination form or can submit via email at sustainability@ithaca.edu.

Sustainability Accomplishments

79%
Departments with Sustainability Courses

Nearly 80% of IC’s Academic Departments across all 5 Schools offer sustainability-focused courses

560
Acres of Natural Land

IC manages 560 acres of natural areas to preserve biological diversity, ecological functions, and ecosystem services.