Environmental Policy

As an educational institution in our society, the University is uniquely situated to serve as a catalyst for environmental responsibility. The leaders of tomorrow will continue to be shaped at Binghamton as environmentally responsible citizens, carrying this knowledge beyond the University and into their future endeavors. Binghamton University should conduct its educational practices, research and business operations in ways that minimize negative impacts on the local and global environment. Binghamton University will consider full compliance with the law to be the minimally acceptable standard and will exercise whatever control is reasonable and necessary to avoid harm to public health and the environment, whether or not such control is required by regulations. The Binghamton University community affirms that its faculty, staff, and students must be responsible stewards of the physical and natural environment. In subscribing to this belief, Binghamton University will pursue the following objectives:

• Safeguard the environmental health and safety of its students, faculty, and staff.
• Conserve natural resources and support their sustainable use.
• Reduce the use of toxic substances and the generation of wastes; and reuse and recycle those wastes whenever possible.
• Purchase renewable, reusable, recyclable, and recycled materials, whenever feasible.
• Promote an increased understanding of environmental issues through our education, research, outreach activities, and operational practices.
• Promote forums to discuss and study environmental issues and their relationship to other social issues.
• Respect and preserve the integrity of campus natural areas, and use native plants and integrated pest management techniques in property management.
• Minimize any adverse environmental impacts of our University operations and facilities on this and surrounding communities.
• Encourage use of environmentally friendly modes of transportation.
• Recognize the role of this campus as a home and workplace, consult with the University community in decisions regarding the utilization of the campus environment.
• Assess the University’s environmental impact, plans for improvement, progress attained in implementing this policy, resources committed to these programs, and developing issues in need of University attention.