Partnerships & Collaboration
Partnerships & Collaboration
Our Approach to Partnership
Scaling Solutions Through Collaboration
No university can solve the climate crisis alone. CU Boulder's sustainability mission is built on the conviction that the most durable solutions emerge from deep, long-term partnerships: with government agencies, industry leaders, local communities, national coalitions, and global research networks.
From campus operations to international policy, our partnerships amplify research, accelerate commercialization, advance environmental justice, and expand the reach of sustainability education — turning Boulder into one of the world's most connected sustainability ecosystems.
CU Boulder's Office for Outreach and Community Engagement and PACES (Public and Community-Engaged Scholarship) drive forward place-based work with local communities — ensuring the benefits of sustainability research reach Boulder, Colorado, and beyond.
CU Boulder's Venture Partners office translates sustainability research into commercialized solutions — supporting spinout companies from battery technology and methane detection to sustainable building materials.
The Carnegie Elective Classification for Sustainability
CU Boulder serves as the host institution for the Carnegie Elective Classification for Sustainability, a new framework recognizing higher education institutions that make sustainability and climate action integral to their academic missions.
The classification provides a rigorous, adaptable framework for institutions to assess and advance sustainability across curriculum, research, operations and community engagement while celebrating progress and fostering collaboration across higher education.
The Classification aims to:
- Recognize excellence in institutional sustainability and climate action
- Encourage innovation in sustainability research, education and engagement
- Promote access through adaptable criteria and support for institutions of all sizes and resources
- Foster collaboration by building on existing sustainability frameworks and creating opportunities for institutions to learn from one another
Local & Regional Partnerships
CU Boulder is deeply embedded in the Boulder and Colorado sustainability ecosystem — partnering with city government, federal labs, advocacy organizations, school districts, and local nonprofits to advance community resilience, clean energy, water stewardship, and environmental education across the region.
CIRES — CU Boulder's flagship NOAA partnership — conducts foundational climate and environmental science that directly informs Boulder-area land use, water management, and hazard preparedness decisions.
The CU-NLR partnership through RASEI brings together university research and national laboratory capabilities to advance solar, storage, and grid modernization solutions with direct relevance to Colorado's clean energy future.
CU Boulder and the City of Boulder collaborate on joint climate action planning, energy efficiency programs, sustainable transportation, and water stewardship — making Boulder one of the nation's most sustainable mid-size cities.
CU Boulder partners with Boulder-based Protect Our Winters to connect students and researchers with one of the outdoor industry's most effective climate advocacy networks — translating science into policy and cultural change.
Partnership programs between CU Boulder and BVSD connect university students and faculty with K-12 sustainability education initiatives — bringing science, environmental literacy, and community engagement into local schools.
CU Boulder's partnerships with Sundance support climate-focused storytelling, bringing arts and media perspectives to sustainability education and connecting students with the entertainment industry's growing climate communication work.
Conscience Bay Company has partnered with Ralphie's Green Stampede, working alongside Ball Corporation to reduce the waste entering and leaving Folsom Field — bringing expertise in sustainability consulting to CU Boulder's nationally recognized sports sustainability program.
Collaborative research and citizen science programs connecting CU Boulder environmental scientists with the Boulder Watershed Collective to monitor and restore stream health across the Boulder Creek watershed.
CU Boulder researchers partner with the Colorado Energy Office on state-funded feasibility studies — including the landmark 2026 geothermal energy assessment — and help shape Colorado's statewide clean energy transition strategy.
Global Partnerships & Alliances
CU Boulder's sustainability work has a global footprint — through partnerships with the United Nations, international university coalitions, and transdisciplinary science networks that connect Boulder's research to climate solutions on every continent.
CU Boulder's membership in the UN SDSN connects university researchers and students to the global network advancing science-based solutions to the Sustainable Development Goals — from clean energy to climate resilience.
CU Boulder is a founding member of UC3, a coalition of 20 leading North American research universities accelerating climate action and modeling the role higher education can play in the global energy transition.
The International Universities Climate Alliance connects CU Boulder with research universities across the globe to coordinate climate research, share best practices, and build the international science-policy bridge needed for climate solutions.
CU Boulder co-hosts and helps organize the Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Summit — convening students, researchers, and policymakers from across the world to advance a just and accelerated climate transition.
CU Boulder researchers contribute to Future Earth's global network advancing knowledge for sustainability — connecting Earth system science, social science, and policy across continents to address planetary boundaries.
CU Boulder faculty have contributed to IPCC assessment reports — the gold standard of international climate science — sharing the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize alongside global colleagues for their role in advancing the world's understanding of climate change.