A Message from President Bollinger
Date: May 1, 2006

Columbia University takes seriously its role as a University engaged in and effecting issues both locally and globally. Our academic and research programs are working to develop strategies for sustainable development. In parallel to this, our administrative and Facilities staff have committed to employing these strategies on our current campuses, as well as in our planning for future projects.

For example, the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, our flagship environmental center, makes valuable contributions to our understanding of the ways that humans and our environments interact. At Columbia, urban ecology, in particular, has become an increasingly important subject of study and research. Cities are complex ecosystems and must be developed in ways that promote healthy, biologically diverse environments. Beyond simply mediating problems created in the past, smart planning entails building for a sustainable future. Columbia's leadership in this emerging area of study will benefit New York City, as well as cities around the world.

Together, our faculty and staff are committed to ensuring that Columbia University is run in an efficient and environmentally conscious manner. We have begun with a specific focus on recycling and reuse of materials, food and water conservation, building design, and energy and resource preservation.

Columbia's commitment to environmental stewardship has its foundation in the energy and ideas of our students, faculty, staff, and researchers. We look to them to lead us in meeting the present and future challenges of creating a sustainable world, starting right here at Columbia.


Lee C. Bollinger
President, Columbia University