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Commitments to Sustainability
Cornell has adopted a comprehensive sustainability action plan, and has a number of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified buildings on the Ithaca campus. In 2007, Cornell established a Center for a Sustainable Future. Cornell has been rated "A-" by the 2011 College Sustainability Report Card for its environmental and sustainability initiatives. In 2009, Cornell released its Climate Action Plan which will guide The University’s Ithaca campus to net zero carbon emission by 2050. In the first two years, Cornell surpassed the plans initiatives by reducing emissions by 25% via efficient investment in facilities and energy efficiency.

Energy Profile
In 2009, a new natural gas-fired combined heat and power facility replaced a coal-fired steam plant, resulting in a reduction in carbon emissions to 7% below 1990 levels, and to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 75,000 tons per year. However this reduction in carbon emissions fails to take into account fugitive methane emissions from hydraulicly fractured gas. According to a study done by Cornell professors, unconventional (hydraulically fractured) gas releases more climate polluting greenhouse gases than conventional gas or coal. "The take-home message of our study is that if you do an integration of 20 years following the development of the gas, shale gas is worse than conventional gas and is, in fact, worse than coal and worse than oil," Howarth said. This facility meets 15% of campus electrical needs, and a university-run, on-campus hydroelectric plant in the Fall Creek Gorge provides an additional 2%. An award-winning lake source cooling project uses Lake Cayuga to air condition campus buildings, with an 80% energy saving over conventional systems.

Community Impacts
The Ithaca Community is committed to sustainability and has many unique community projects. However, Cornell has failed to invest in local renewable energy projects such as Black Oak Wind Farm, a community wind project started by Cornell alumni. Also, The University’s President wrote an article in Forbes declaring that universities should receive funding from the state and industry to work together on creating fracking regulations, despite community opinion that fracking cannot be safely regulated.

Energy Investments
Cornell has an endowment of over $5 billion The University does not disclose the details of its investments however it is known that it invests a significant portion of its endowment in the energy sector, thus profitting from coal, oil, and shale-gas extraction. Cornell received a 0.41 / 9.00 on the STARS review for Positive Sustainability Investments, a decline from previous years. Students are currently calling for divestment of the university endowment from fossil fuels by 2020, passing a student government resolution with a vote of 22-2. However the university has indicated that it does not plan to divest. Cornell only has $60 million invested in alternative energy, whereas it’s peer institution, Yale University, has roughly $1.6 million of its endowment in sustainable investments.