Sustainability at Harvard

Harvard's Greenhouse Gas Reduction Commitment

The goal

Harvard University has committed to a GHG reduction goal of a 30 percent reduction from Fiscal Year 2006 levels by 2016, including growth.

The goal was set based on the recommendations of a Task Force, made up of faculty, students, and senior administrators, established by President Faust in the spring of 2008 to recommend a greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction goal for the University. For more information please view the Task Force Final Report.

GHG reduction implementation planning

Since the announcement of the 30 percent reduction goal and the subsequent creation of Harvard’s centralized Office for Sustainability (formerly the Harvard Green Campus Initiative), the University has been engaged in a comprehensive GHG reduction program planning process. The process will conclude with school specific plans and the final Harvard-wide GHG reduction road map in December 2009.

Five working groups with representation from across all of Harvard's Schools and Units are currently developing recommendations in key areas. Listed below are the Working Groups and key deliverables.

GHG Inventory & Measurement:

Chair: Jim Gray (HRES) & Committee Lead: Gordon Reynolds (UOS)

  1. Develop GHG accounting methodology and Harvard’s organizational boundary.
  2. GHG Emissions Standardized Reporting Protocol.

Building Efficiency & Demand Management.

Chairs: Rick Mills (HMS) and Jay Phillips & Linda Snyder (FAS)

  1. Develop Building Energy/Utility University-wide Reporting Standards.
  2. Develop strategy for building assessments & prioritizing building and equipment upgrades.
  3. Revisit Green Building Guidelines.
  4. Establish framework for Operations & Maintenance Principles.

Energy Supply

Chairs: John Audi (ADG) & Russ Porter (FAS).
Committee Leads: Doug Garron (UOS) & Peter Stroup (HMS)

  1. Determine additional energy efficiency measures & opportunities for upgrading physical plants.
  2. Determine an appropriate Energy Label for Harvard.
  3. Review current billing and metering and assess opportunities for aligning billing with conservation incentives.

Finance

Chairs: Jason Carlson (GSE), Negeen Darani (FAD), Geoff Swift (HLS)

  1. Establish uniform policy for Life Cycle Costing (LCC) analysis.
  2. Identify & provide recommendations for funding mechanisms (loan fund, etc.)

Marketing, Communications & Engagement

Chairs: Heather Henriksen (OFS), Melodie Jackson (HKS) & Mary Ann O’Brien (CADM)

  1. Develop a comprehensive Communications Plan; collaborate with PIO’s & HNO.
  2. Reporting.
  3. Review University-wide Behavior Change and Engagement Programs

Renewable Energy & Carbon Offsets

Chair: Andy O’Brien (HBS) & TBD (group not created yet)

  1. Research/Review large-scale low carbon energy investment opportunities.
  2. Create policy recommendations for purchase/production of carbon offsets.

Thumbnail of structure of GHG implementation groups
(click thumbnail for larger version)

The recommendations from these Working Groups are reviewed on a monthly basis by an Executive Committee, chaired by Dean of Science (FAS) Jeremy Bloxham and Executive Vice President Ed Forst.

And a Student Advisory Group is in development to provide a forum for student input and engagement in the GHG Reduction Implementation Planning