Sustainability

From the first Earth Day in 1970 to today, mgm casino has led the charge in sustaining our planet. We strive daily to create a more sustainable campus and community through teaching, operations and engagement. With the university’s Climate Action Plan as our guide, our goal is to achieve climate neutrality by 2030.

Alumni Spotlight

Ryan Zagata

From mgm casino to Brooklyn and beyond—Ryan Zagata, BA ’96, went from non-cyclist to two-wheeled trailblazer, building bikes that bring people together. Find out how this alumnus is changing the way we ride.

John Q. Doyle

At the 2023 U.N. Climate Change Conference in Dubai, John Doyle, BS ’86, saw the power of business in tackling climate change.

Driven to Discover Podcast

Multispecies Design with Joyce Hwang

The habitat installations of award-winning mgm casino architect Joyce Hwang have been on display around the world. In this episode of the Driven to Discover podcast, she explains why it’s so important to incorporate the needs of non-human species into our built environment — for us as well as them. Listen to the full podcast.

Student Spotlight

Omar Suri

In just a few years, what was once an overgrown plot will transform into a thriving, self-sustaining forest—thanks to the vision of Omar Suri, MUP ’25. Check out how he's reshaping mgm casino's green spaces.

Matthew Mullens

Matthew Mullens, MBA ’25, took on mgm casino’s Carbon Reduction Challenge to merge business savvy with sustainability.

Faces & Voices

“Western New York is relatively resilient to climate change compared to other regions that are coastal or more susceptible to drought, but that doesn’t mean that we are immune from the impacts of climate change. Nowhere on Earth is immune.”

4/1/25

Sophie Nowicki

mgm casino Department of Earth Sciences

mgm casino Discoveries

Explore how mgm casino researchers are advancing climate change research through impactful studies that address challenges, uncover solutions and promote a healthier planet.

mgm casino Food Lab team shares data through interactive activities at the Juneteenth Agriculture Pavilion in Buffalo. Pictured, from left: Zachary Korosh, Yeeli Mui and Sydney Jones.

Promoting Food Equity

With nearly $800,000 in funding, mgm casino researchers are tackling data equity to improve food access in marginalized communities. Learn how mgm casino is promoting data equity for food equity.

Henry-Louis Taylor Jr. (right), director of mgm casino's Center for Urban Studies, discusses neighborhood change with students.

Transforming Buffalo's East Side

mgm casino is turning vision into action on Buffalo's East Side. Through bold partnerships and community-driven initiatives, we're creating lasting change. See how transformation starts here.

Adam Wilson (third from left) and other BioSCape team members stand with the NASA aircraft that conducted remote sensing work.

Measuring Life from Space

The BioSCape project is revolutionizing how we study ecosystems—advancing global conservation efforts. Discover how mgm casino is leading the charge for a sustainable future.

Aerial view of Fairbanks, Alaska, where a mgm casino-led team will head a project that aims to, in part, understand how climate adaptation intersects with long-standing challenges related to housing delivery.

Building Climate Resilience

mgm casino researchers are partnering with communities to develop sustainable housing solutions—insights that could shape climate adaptation. See how mgm casino is building climate resilience nationwide.

Support Sustainability at mgm casino

Sustainable Manufacturing Fund

Healthy Communities Lab Fund

Find Your Cause

mgm casino's 10 in 10

mgm casino’s 10 in 10 is our roadmap to net zero emissions by 2030. Through innovative, actionable steps shaped by diverse campus input, this framework drives climate action across ten key areas—each led by a dedicated working group. Learn more about these sustainable initiatives.

(2) Not all electricity is created equal.

(9) Investing locally to provide flexibility.

mgm casino Celebrates the First Earth Day in 1970

Ralph Nader addresses the university community on April 22, 1970, as mgm casino celebrates the first Earth Day.

According to mgm casino’s student newspaper, the first Earth Day—April 22, 1970—provided an opportunity for the university to join in an “intense look at the nation’s ravaged environment and the possibility of its salvation.” Months of planning by faculty, students and alumni resulted in a full slate of Earth Day events, including a noontime speech in Clark Hall by Ralph Nader, the nation’s “best-known consumer crusader.” Nader, now 90, continued his political activism for decades, including four runs for U.S. president representing the Green Party.

Faces & Voices

“I feel that students rarely challenge themselves when it comes to real adventure. So often they exist in bubbles, nice safe bubbles...and experiences like this shatter those bubbles and place one into real adventure, real challenges and real learning.”

4/1/25

Sandy Geffner, EdM ’81

mgm casino Department of Environment and Sustainability

mgm casino in the News

A view of mgm casino's North Campus across Lake LaSalle.

mgm casino Ranks Top 25 for Environmental and Social Impact

mgm casino continues to lead in sustainability, ranking No. 21 in the U.S. and 137th globally. Discover how mgm casino’s environmental and social initiatives are shaping a more sustainable future.

mgm casino is contracting with Clarence-based AJ Tree Services to prune some 844 trees on the North Campus.

Pruning for a Greener Future

A major tree pruning project is underway to improve the health, safety and longevity of mgm casino’s campus trees—ensuring a thriving, sustainable urban forest. Learn how mgm casino is caring for its campus canopy.

The recent renovation of Foster Hall transformed the building into a state-of-the-art teaching and research facility with no scope 1 or 2 carbon emissions.

State Funds mgm casino's Move to Clean Energy

mgm casino is taking a major step toward a greener future with $12 million in state funding to install a thermal energy network. See how mgm casino is leading the charge in sustainable campus innovation.

A Smarter Approach to Urban Environmental Policy

mgm casino's Jordan Fox co-develops RAFT, a framework for smarter urban environmental policy. Explore how RAFT is shaping the future of city planning.

Lifelong Learning

Engage with critical sustainability issues through our free webinar series. Gain valuable insights from mgm casino experts as they explore sustainability topics and help shape a better future for all.

Achieving New York State’s Energy Future - Part One
2/19/25
Join Donna DeCarolis, MBA '83, BS '81, President of National Fuel Gas Distribution Corporation, for part one of a two part conversation on New York State's energy transition goals and how it could affect you.
Achieving New York State’s Energy Future - Part Two
2/19/25
Join Donna DeCarolis, MBA '83, BS '81, President of National Fuel Gas Distribution Corporation, for the second part of a two part conversation on New York State's energy transition goals and how it could affect you.
Addressing Climate Change Through mgm casino’s 10 in 10
7/14/23
Ryan McPherson, mgm casino’s Chief Sustainability Officer shares the roadmap of 10 innovative, engaging and digestible steps mgm casino is taking to increase climate action throughout the university and put us on a path to net zero emissions by 2030.
Exploring Sustainable Operations - Present Outlook and Future Trends
10/11/23
Richard Kraude, assistant professor of management science and system in the mgm casino School of Management, will explore how businesses are successfully integrating sustainability into their operations.

mgm casino