Queens College is committed to sustainability—defined as “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” We are guided by commitments in our Strategic Plan to be a “green” campus and the efforts of our Sustainability Council and its partners.

We are committed to energy efficiency in all our current practices. Our construction and renovation projects are to be environmentally sound, using recycled materials where possible and ensuring maximum energy efficiency in campus buildings to reduce energy consumption. We will encourage our faculty, students, and staff to consider forms of transportation with less impact on the environment. Our goal is to become carbon-neutral in thirty-five years.

We will reduce the overall waste produced on campus and operate a robust recycling program. We are moving toward a “paperless” campus and the one hundred percent use of “green” products.

We will promote water conservation initiatives. We will encourage local sourcing and other sustainable practices in our dining services.

We will train our students to be good stewards of the environment through our educational programs and by creating a campus culture of sustainability. We will support the important research by our faculty on the processes in the environment and our impact on it. We will be a model for sustainability for the community.