Colgate University is committed to sustainability. As one of our nation’s finest liberal arts colleges, we welcome our civic duty and embrace our responsibility to be good community partners and stewards of the environment. Our sustainability initiatives strive to reduce our ecological footprint, preserve nature’s resources, and contribute to a socially just, higher quality of life both locally and globally.
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CARBON FOOTPRINT & CLIMATE ACTION
In January 2009, Colgate became a signatory of the American College and University Presidents' Climate Commitment (ACUPCC), which charges Colgate with taking action towards achieving carbon neutrality.
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ENERGY CONSERVATION AND EFFICIENCY
The university consumes more than 27 million kWh of electricity every year (or over 7,000 kWh per person per year). Through energy efficiency and conservation measures, we can do a lot better! Click here for a few tips for "greener" living and working.
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RENEWABLE ENERGY SYSTEMS
Colgate's wood-fired boiler satisfies more than 75 percent of the campus's heat and domestic hot water needs. Installed in the early 1980s, the boiler processes approximately 20,000 tons of locally and sustainably harvested wood chips per year. Last year, this renewable, carbon neutral resource helped Colgate avoid consuming the equivalent of 1.17 million gallons of fuel oil and saved the university over $1.8 million in heating costs.
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ALTERNATIVE TRANSPORTATION
Ride the Cruiser! It is convenient and FREE and provides an alternative way to meet new people. The Cruisers will take you around campus and to the village of Hamilton, providing easy access to the Colgate Bookstore, Hamilton Movie Theater, Barge Canal Coffee House, off-campus residence halls and apartments, and other local stores and restaurants in the downtown area.
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FOOD SERVICE AND DINING PRACTICES
Colgate strives to improve the many dimensions that constitute a sustainable food program. Central New York is a prosperous agricultural area and we continue to explore ever-increasing opportunities to serve locally produced food on campus.
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WASTE MINIMIZATION & RECYCLING
Do you know where our trash goes? Hint: it never goes away. At Colgate, our trash goes to the county landfill in the town of Lincoln (less than 20 miles from campus). Every year, the Colgate community sends over 2 million pounds of trash to the landfill. By making a few simple changes, we can all make a difference and reduce our total volume of landfill trash.
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