During Earth Week, SUNY Chancellor King Celebrates Climate and Sustainability Action Progress

April 20, 2026

SUNY has Reduced Greenhouse Emissions System-Wide from On-Site, Purchased-Energy, and Fleet Vehicle Emissions by over 40% Compared to 1990 Levels

SUNY's Plan Includes Ambitious Goals to Double Climate Research, Strengthen Climate Education, and Increase Green Workforce Development

Albany, NY — State University of New York Chancellor John B. King Jr. celebrated SUNY's progress achieving the goals of its inaugural Climate and Sustainability Action Plan as part of SUNY's Earth Week events. SUNY has reduced greenhouse emissions from on-site, purchased-energy, and fleet vehicle emissions by over 40 percent compared to 1990 levels at its state-operated campuses. The progress made by SUNY reflects the System's deeply held commitment to invest in renewable energy and climate-conscious options when undertaking building maintenance and capital improvements.

"SUNY is on the move, and we are leading the way in helping to achieve New York's climate sustainability goals," said SUNY Chancellor King. "SUNY has demonstrated that large-scale climate mitigation is possible thanks to our investments in modernizations and capital improvements to address antiquated facilities, as well as our initiatives to promote more sustainable practices on campuses. Through our academic and research offerings, SUNY is working to educate and inspire the next generation of clean energy professionals and climate-conscious leaders."

The SUNY Board of Trustees said, "SUNY has made a commitment to lead on environmental protection and climate-conscious initiatives, and we are already seeing significant results from our Climate and Sustainability Action Plan. We will continue to focus on these efforts and help serve as an example to university systems and land-users across the country who are ready to take action in the fight for our planet. We look forward to providing our climate leaders, students, and communities with the tools they need to create real solutions on this issue."

Bill Ulfelder, Executive Director of The Nature Conservancy in New York, said, "SUNY is showing that climate leadership works. We commend Chancellor King, the SUNY Board of Trustees, and campus teams across the system for their rapid and substantial progress implementing the Climate and Sustainability Action Plan. By cutting pollution, expanding clean energy, embedding sustainability into education and workforce training, and increasing access to nature, SUNY is proving how public institutions can protect health, conserve nature, strengthen the economy, and tackle climate change at scale."

State Senator Toby Ann Stavisky, Chair of the Higher Education Committee, said, "Cutting emissions by more than 40 percent is a laudable achievement, but the larger story is what SUNY is building alongside it. Green workforce training, expanded climate research, and tuition-free pathways through SUNY Reconnect are preparing students for the economy New York is creating. I thank Chancellor King, the campus sustainability leads, and the faculty fellows for driving this work."

State Senator Pete Harckham said, "This achievement shows what's possible with focused investment and a clear plan. I'm proud to have worked alongside my colleague Senator Mayer to secure funding for geothermal networks that will heat our campuses efficiently and without emissions, supporting these broader sustainability efforts. I commend Chancellor John B. King Jr. on this milestone and look forward to continuing our work to strengthen the sustainability of our state university system."

State Assemblymember Alicia Hyndman, Chair of the Higher Education Committee, said, "Climate justice and economic justice are two sides of the same coin. I am thrilled to see Chancellor King and the SUNY system leading the charge by not only cutting emissions but by opening doors for our neighbors to enter the green economy. With $2.6 million dedicated to green workforce training and free tuition through SUNY Reconnect, we are ensuring that the jobs of the future are accessible to every New Yorker right now. We aren't just future-proofing our buildings; we are future-proofing our workforce."

The SUNY Climate and Sustainability Action Plan was adopted at the beginning of 2025 and provides a framework for decarbonizing the SUNY system, which consists of 110 million square feet or approximately 40 percent of all New York State-owned buildings, and for creating the next generation of climate leaders through education, experiential learning, research, workforce development, and civic engagement. The plan includes 156 specific actions and strategies for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, doubling climate research, strengthening climate education, increasing green workforce development, and expanding engagement and applied learning opportunities for students.

SUNY's progress includes:

  • Governance: Every campus has a sustainability lead to coordinate efforts across academic, facilities, and student life departments. SUNY has also published an Action Plan Tracker to highlight the climate and sustainability action items that are in progress or completed as part of the Climate and Sustainability Action Plan.
  • Clean energy deployment: SUNY is scaling its use of geothermal networks to heat and cool buildings and solar power to generate electricity. To date, SUNY campuses have implemented over 950 energy efficiency projects that have reduced energy use by 10 percent since 2015 even while adding 5 million square feet of conditioned space, 23 campuses are using efficient geothermal power to heat and cool buildings, and 17 campuses generated a total of 29,500 MWH of renewable electricity in 2025. Building on this track record, in 2025 alone, SUNY worked with partners in the Governor's Office and Legislature to invest $240 million in thermal energy networks and solar projects at the State University of New York at Binghamton, the State University of New York at Buffalo, SUNY Oswego, SUNY Purchase, and the State University of New York at Stony Brook. 
  • Climate education: An inaugural 11-member class of SUNY's Sustainability Faculty Fellows is providing resources and models for faculty across the system to incorporate climate and sustainability topics and applied learning techniques into existing math, science, social science, humanities, and art courses.
  • Research: A multidisciplinary Climate Research Task Force is developing a strategy to accelerate and double research, innovation, and associated workforce and economic development.
  • Workforce: Green workforce development is expanding through a $2.6 million statewide initiative to help more students pursue clean energy jobs. Initiatives include the adaptation of academic programs and state-of-the art training facilities at 12 campuses, a $5 million clean energy microcredential program at 12 campuses, and free tuition for adult students preparing for green jobs under the SUNY Reconnect
  • Sustainable Operations: SUNY is implementing a policy to phase out single-use plastics across the system including plastic bags, beverage bottles, food service products, utensils, plastic wrap, and packaging films that has already eliminated 30 percent of plastic water bottles and 47 percent of plastic food containers. SUNY has nine Bike-Friendly Universities, eight Bee Campuses, and 10 Tree Campuses. To build on this record, four SUNY campuses are working on reforestation projects under a $1.7 million grant from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), and is overhauling procurement systems to make it easier to buy green products and is working with student and community groups to reuse and repurpose clothes, furniture, and other items to keep them out of landfills.  
  • Engagement: SUNY's "Outdoors for All" grants for 13 campuses are providing new trails, equipment, and programs to promote inclusive engagement with the environment and fellow students. SUNY's Student Sustainability Awards recognized 10 undergraduate students at five campuses for the work they have done to advance sustainability on their campuses, including arts and communication, environmental footprint, research, innovation and entrepreneurship, and environmental justice. To gain additional experiential learning and career advancement, 31 students served in paid Climate Corps internships at state agencies and another 95 students worked on sustainability matters for their communities as part of the Empire State Service Corps

About the State University of New York
The State University of New York is the largest comprehensive system of higher education in the United States, and more than 95 percent of all New Yorkers live within 30 miles of any one of SUNY’s 64 colleges and universities. Across the system, SUNY has four academic health centers, five hospitals, four medical schools, two dental schools, a law school, the country’s oldest school of maritime, the state's only college of optometry, 12 Educational Opportunity Centers, over 30 ATTAIN digital literacy labs, and manages one US Department of Energy National Laboratory. In total, SUNY serves about 1.7 million students across its portfolio of credit- and non-credit-bearing courses and programs, continuing education, and community outreach programs. SUNY oversees nearly a quarter of academic research in New York. Research expenditures system-wide are nearly $1.5 billion in fiscal year 2025, including significant contributions from students and faculty. There are more than three million SUNY alumni worldwide, and annually one in three New Yorkers who earn a college degree is a SUNY alum. To learn more about how SUNY creates opportunities, visit suny.edu.

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