Environmental leadership

For more than half a century, the University of Colorado Boulder has been a leader in pursuing world-class climate and energy research, providing interdisciplinary environmental studies and implementing “green” practices throughout campus.

Feature Articles

2013 campus sustainability award winners announced

The campus sustainability awards program was established in 1997 to recognize outstanding individuals and departments demonstrating strong commitments to reducing CU-Boulder’s impact on the environment. This year, congratulations go to James Balog,...

One Million Acts of Green

CU-Boulder students, faculty, staff and alumni are invited to use One Million Acts of Green -- an online sustainability tool and social network that allows participants to build and track sustainability plans, measure the...

CU’s nLab breeds real-world innovation among all walks of students

Interdisciplinary thinking bolsters innovation. That’s the concept behind the University of Colorado Boulder’s new nLab, a mobile hub that allows students to develop their entrepreneurial ideas through peer and mentor-based collaboration,...

Two CU-Boulder professors named 2013 Leopold Leadership Fellows

Two CU-Boulder environmental researchers -- Kevin J. Krizek and Maxwell Boykoff -- have been named Leopold Leadership Fellows for 2013 in recognition of their outstanding leadership abilities and desire to communicate scientific issues beyond...

New solar panels on campus double CU-Boulder’s solar power production

A new array of solar panels installed at CU-Boulder has doubled solar power production on campus to about 1,000 kilowatt-hours of energy, enough to power about 200 average-sized houses. The installation will help CU-Boulder power the campus, reduce...

CU Commute: Networking and trip tracking for off-campus students and staff

The University of Colorado community can now access commuter and carpool resources through CU Commute, a social networking website for University commuters. CU Commute is a platform that networks users by alternative modes of transportation and...

CU-led team receives $9.2 million DOE grant to engineer E. coli into biofuels

A team led by the University of Colorado Boulder has been awarded $9.2 million over five years from the U.S. Department of Energy to research modifying E. coli to produce biofuels such as gasoline.

CU-Boulder Environment and Sustainability Visioning Committee named

Provost Russell Moore today announced the charge and membership of a visioning committee to consider future opportunities for synergies and collaboration between University of Colorado Boulder environment and sustainability research and academic...

Making choices to combat climate change

Even with what could be described as the weight of the world resting on their shoulders, today’s college students seem unwilling to succumb to their generation’s greatest challenge—climate change.

Alum builds tiny house on big philosophical ground

HARTSEL, Colo.—Christopher Smith knew he wanted to sink down some roots, preferably on a mountainside. He just didn’t know that the process would require so much time, sweat and money.

News Releases

Three CU students win prestigious national Goldwater scholarships - May 06, 2013
CU-Boulder moves ahead on creating new colleges focusing on media, communication and information; the environment and sustainability - May 01, 2013
CU-Boulder senior, 16, will graduate with honors before heading to Harvard - April 30, 2013
‘Chasing Ice’ filmmaker to discuss his gripping glacial photography and unseen footage at Macky April 1 - March 19, 2013
CU Energy Club conference to explore ‘energy frontiers’ with government, industry April 4 - March 18, 2013
CU’s nLab breeds real-world innovation among all walks of students - February 21, 2013
New solar panels on campus double CU-Boulder’s solar power production - January 14, 2013
CU-Boulder students to demonstrate engineering projects at Dec. 8 Design Expo - December 04, 2012
CU-led team receives $9.2 million DOE grant to engineer E. coli into biofuels - December 04, 2012
Degraded military lands to get ecological boost from CU-led effort - November 15, 2012

Video

Students Create Solar Tracker for Boeing

University of Colorado Boulder engineering major Dan Johnson shows off the solar energy tracking device his senior design group made in partnership with the Boeing company.

Climate change: making choices that make a difference

Addressing global challenges like climate change is an everday action for the CU-Boulder community including a number of approaches both on and off campus. For more information visit

Population, consumption and growth

CU-Boulder Professor Emeritus Al Bartlett shares themes from his notorious cautionary lecture about the arithmetic of population growth. The video is part of a series that can be viewed at

CU and National Labs Work To Harness Wind Power

University of Colorado Boulder faculty and students are helping scientists at the National Wind Technology Center, just south of Boulder, improve the efficiency and lower the cost of wind energy.

Students Build a Solar House for International Competition

What's it like to design and build a solar-powered house for a national competition in Washington DC?

The advantage of environmental consciousness at CU

Freshman Nick Desherd says he will have an advantage when he graduates from CU-Boulder because of the university community's environmental consciousness.

Why does CU-Boulder inspire environmental consciousness?

Junior Ian Buller discusses environmental consciousness at the University of Colorado Boulder.

Inspiring environmental awareness at CU

Students and faculty at the University of Colorado Boulder are inspired to be environmentally conscious by the campus' surroundings.

Udall Scholar Shane Baldauf

Shane Baldauf, winner of both a Boettcher scholarship and a Udall scholarship, has dedicated his time as a CU-Boulder student to Habitat for Humanity and starting a company that integrates LEED bui

Engineering students build, test high-mileage car

A team of 4 students from the University of Colorado Boulder Department of Engineering will see if they can squeeze 1,000 miles per gallon or more out of a car they built and entered in the 2009 Sh

Photo Galleries

Basketball and volleyball practice facility

The University of Colorado Boulder’s volleyball and basketball practice facility is rated LEED platinum -- the highest designation -- from the United States Green Building Council. The 43,000-square-foot building, adjacent to the Coors Events Center, opened in August of 2011 and houses two NCAA regulation size basketball courts. They are shared by the men’s and women’s basketball programs, as well as the women’s volleyball program. News Release