Author: NYUGreen

NYU Sustainability 2025 #YearinReview

2025 marked yet another incredible year for the NYU Office of Sustainability. Throughout 2025, students, staff, faculty, and community members worked together to drive initiatives that strengthened NYU’s continued commitment to climate action, environmental justice, and sustainability. Let’s take a look back at what we accomplished this year!

Funding, Research, & Certifications: 

2025 was a banner year for grant and certification advancements, cultivating a culture of sustainability among NYU students and faculty. 

  • 18 Sustainability Internship Grants of $3,500 each were awarded to help students pursue internships in sustainability-related fields. 
  • We awarded 5 Green Grants to NYU community members working to further sustainable efforts. Recipients of the 2025 grant are pursuing a wide range of projects, from upcycling NYU Makerspace 3D-printing waste to researching energy reduction pathways for digital information sharing on campus. 
  • 15 workplaces earned a Green Workplace Certification through the Office of Sustainability, with 12 achieving Platinum status.
  • We launched the Sustainability Undergraduate Research Assistant (SURA) pilot program, enabling faculty to hire undergraduate students to work on their sustainability research projects.

Campus Operations

Ongoing improvements to campus operations continued to make a meaningful difference in reducing NYU’s environmental footprint and supporting community well-being. 

Engagement & Events 

Our community showed up for our planet this year, coming together across schools, offices, and departments for various events and programs.

  • The Office of Sustainability hosted Green Campus Tours and Plant Meditations during NYU Welcome to encourage sustainability in new NYU community members.
  • In April of 2025, NYU hosted 42 Earth Month events, including the 3rd Annual Climate Film Festival, a Campus Clothing Swap, and a Plant-Based Food Festival. 
  • The Office of Sustainability worked alongside Climate Change Initiative faculty by offering support for their climate-related events and programs.
  • The NYU Swap Shop opened in August and reduced waste by allowing students to reclaim high-quality items disposed of during spring move-out.


  • We held our 2nd Green Jobs Fair, connecting students with impassioned professionals across sustainable sectors. 
  • NYU facilitated a lively Climate Week, with over 40 events celebrating climate action and progress. Events and programs like the Environmental & Racial Justice Network Summit fostered connection, collaboration, and conversation regarding environmental action.


  • With support from the OoS, Steinhardt and the College of Dentistry launched their own sustainability committees, raising awareness about sustainability across industries. 
  • The Office of Sustainability represented NYU at various conferences andStudent receiving laptop from laptop reuse program industry events, including the annual AASHE conference, sharing our progress and growing alongside other academic institutions committed to sustainable solutions.
  • We ended the year strong with the launch of our Laptop Reuse program, a collaborative effort between different departments across NYU to take laptops no longer in use and distribute them to students for free. A special thanks to our partners in Basic Needs for helping make this collaboration possible!

University Awards & Recognitions: 

  • In 2025, NYU ranked 15th in the Princeton Review’s Top 50 Green Colleges and ranked 9th in the USA in the QS World University Rankings: Sustainability. These accomplishments further reinforced the power of student engagement, institutional investments, and campus-wide efforts at NYU. Ending the year on a high note, NYU achieved an AASHE STARS Gold rating for the third time since becoming a charter program participant. These recognitions underscore the impact of our community’s ongoing sustainability work.

Looking Forward: 

The accomplishments in sustainability at NYU of 2025 demonstrate the dedication of our community members to enacting positive environmental change. Thank you to everyone who helped us sustainably progress this year, both as a community and an institution. We look forward to continuing this important collaborative work as we enter 2026!

NYU Recognized Again Among Top Universities for Sustainability

NYU’s commitment to integrating sustainability into academics, operations, and student life is reflected in 2026 sustainability rankings! 

Image of NYU flag surrounded by greenery at KMC building

In the latest QS World University Rankings: Sustainability for 2026, NYU is now #3 in the United States and #20 globally. NYU also appears once again on the Princeton Review’s Top 50 Green Colleges list, ranking #19 out of nearly 600 universities considered. 

These results highlight the continual work happening across the university, even as rankings shift from year to year. NYU’s continued presence near the top of these lists reflects the efforts of students, faculty, and staff who are expanding sustainability initiatives in ways that reach both academic and day-to-day campus life. 

This year, NYU launched several new programs to build on these efforts. The Swap Shop, which opened for students during fall move-in, gave away over 9,000 items and saved students over $127,000. The Office of Sustainability also launched Meditations on Earth, a reflective series engaging the NYU community in mindful connections with the environment, and the Sustainability Undergraduate Research Assistants pilot program, providing students with the opportunity to gain hands-on experience in sustainability research. 

NYU also continues to advance operational sustainability. Rubin Hall, a first-year dorm, is now the largest residential Passive House in the world and has received LEED Platinum certification. Across the university, NYU now has more than 3.3 million square feet of LEED-certified space, reflecting long-term investments in healthier and more energy-efficient buildings. Efforts around sustainable dining have also made an impact, achieving a 29% per-calorie reduction in food-related greenhouse gas emissions from our 2006 baseline, bringing us close to our 2030 goal of a 38% reduction.

Underlying all of this work is a community dedicated to long-term progress. As projects evolve, programs expand, and new opportunities emerge, NYU remains focused on advancing its climate commitments, including achieving carbon neutrality by 2040. These recognitions mark the university’s progress while highlighting the ongoing work ahead.

 

NYU Receives Gold Ranking for the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment, and Rating System

Gold Seal that says: "Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System -STARS. A program of aashe." GoldThe Office of Sustainability is excited to share that NYU has once again been certified Gold through the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS). Run by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE), STARS helps colleges and universities improve their sustainability efforts by looking at all areas of campus life — from academics and operations to planning, engagement, and leadership. 

This year marks the third year NYU has received a Gold rating — a recognition of the progress we’ve made and continue to make. We first achieved Gold back in 2011 as one of the charter program participants, and we earned the rating again in 2020. In addition to earning Gold again in 2025, NYU was also highlighted as the top performer in sustainable transportation in the 2025 STARS Sustainable Campus Index. 

Here are some highlights:

Operations

  • We know our way around town. NYU scored the highest Transportation rating out of all the institutions certified under STARS v2.2 in 2025. In this category, NYU earned over 90% of the available points. Our community gets around using a variety of sustainable methods, from public transit to self-powered methods like walking and biking. In addition, our cross-campus shuttle bus system makes getting around easy and affordable.
  • Our green spaces are thriving. Despite our urban location, NYU takes care of over 70 unique outdoor areas. We scored full points on the Landscape Management credit thanks to eco-friendly practices like water conservation and sustainable soil care.
  • We shop smart. NYU earned 93% of the available points across the Purchasing category by being thoughtful about what we buy and why — from electronics to paper products. 

Academics & Administration

  • We are curious problem solvers. NYU scored 98% of the available points in the Research category by encouraging open access to scientific information and supporting both students and faculty as they dig into environmental challenges and find creative, sustainable solutions.
  • We prioritize inclusion. Having earned 88% of the available points across all credits in the Diversity & Affordability category, NYU shows its commitment to its diverse student body through programs and affordability efforts that make education more accessible.
  • We are trailblazers. From banning single-use plastics to launching our Sustainability Office Diversity Program, NYU’s forward-thinking efforts earned 94% of the Innovation and Leadership credit points.

Engagement

  • Our community is involved. With the help of sustainability-focused campus programming, NYU completed eight out of nine possible credits in the Campus Engagement category — with perfect marks in areas like Student Orientation, Student Life, and Outreach Campaigns.
  • Our work knows no bounds. NYU is an active member of the New York community and continues to prioritize Public Engagement through partnerships, participation in public policy, and ongoing educational outreach.

Thank you to all NYU community members who make this achievement possible! Through collaboration across all departments, schools, initiatives, and with the tireless effort of many individuals, sustainability at New York University continues to advance. 

The statistics referenced in this article are based on available data as of February 14, 2025. 

Explore our STARS 2.2 Scorecard.

NYU receives NACUFS Gold Sustainability Award in Carbon Neutrality

NYU’s achievements in sustainable campus food were recognized by the National Association of College & University Food Services (NACUFS) with Gold status in the Carbon Neutrality category.

The NACUFS Sustainability Award in Carbon Neutrality is given to institutions that display outstanding leadership in implementing environmental sustainability in campus dining operations and place a high value on pursuing carbon neutrality. 

NYU’s participation in the NYC Plant-Powered Carbon Challenge (PPCC) and the Coolfood Pledge played a large role in helping the university receive the NACUFS Gold Award in Carbon Neutrality. NYU reduced its carbon emissions by 29% per calorie from its 2019 baseline, avoiding 22,000 MTCO2e in 2024, and is on its way to achieving 38% by 2030. Coupled with student engagement programming, such as the annual Plant-based Food Festival, NYU is showing how sustainability is incorporated throughout all areas of the university. 

NYU continues to strive to achieve its food-related carbon emissions commitments and highlight the importance of sustainable practices across the university. Thank you to all our partners who made this award possible!

A Green NYU Welcome 2025

Dream Big with NYU Green Welcome to the 2025-2026 academic year! Learn about NYU’s climate goals and how you can get involved in sustainability on campus. Here’s how to find us during NYU Welcome 2025. We can’t wait to see you soon!

EVENTS

  • Green Campus Tour: Join the Office of Sustainability for a tour of NYU’s sustainability features. In this tour, you’ll see some of the 70+ outdoor spaces that NYU has and learn how the university is building a more environmentally sustainable campus.
    • Wednesday, August 27 | 11 AM – 12 PM
    • Thursday, September 4 | 2 – 3 PM
  • Climate Action Mixer with Plant Meditation & Giveaway: Join the Office of Sustainability and NYU Libraries for a climate action mixer! Participate in a 30-minute meditation where we will engage our senses and practice focused attention using plants. Afterward, enjoy plant-based snacks while getting to know peers and friends who are interested in environmental issues and combating climate change. Plants will be provided as giveaways for the meditation.