Harvard University Makes Progress on Sustainability Goals

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In 2014, Harvard University adopted its Sustainability Plan, which was created in partnership with faculty, students, and staff to align the university around a holistic vision, a five-year plan to enhance the overall well-being of the campus, especially campus-wide communication. The plan sets clear goals, standards, and commitments for moving forward in five core areas: energy and emissions, campus operations, nature and ecosystems, health and wellness, and culture and learning.

The 2015 Harvard Sustainability Report illustrates the progress the university has made so far:

* 20% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions (goal is 30% by 2016) – equal to a reduction of 58,000 MTCDE since 2006, or the equivalent of removing 12,000 cars from the road annually.

* 36% reduction in waste per capita (goal is 50% by 2020)

* 19% reduction in water use (goal is 30% reduction by 2020) – the equivalent of 133,000,000 gallons

* 60% organic landscaping (goal is 75% by 2020)

In addition, in 2009 Harvard entered into a long-term agreement for 12MW of energy from the Stetson II wind farm in Maine, and over 1MW of solar projects have been installed on campus so far. Harvard has 104 LEED certified building projects, more than any other higher education institution in the world.

Other projects include:

* Eight vegetated green roofs across campus to help promote biodiversity, prevent stormwater runoff, and reduce building energy consumption

* Rainwater harvesting and reuse has been incorporated in many new construction projects, and underground cisterns with a capacity of 37,000 gallons were installed at Harvard Art Museums and the first three House Renewal projects

For more information on Harvard’s sustainability initiatives, visit their Web site.

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