report.green.harvard.eduHarvard’s 2018 Sustainability Report | Sustainability at Harvard Impact Report

Jump to navigation Emissions and Energy Campus Operations Nature and Ecosystems Health and Well-Being Culture and Learning Sign up for updates GREEN HARVARD Goals Topics Timeline MENU Explore our sustainability data hub We're moving toward a fossil fuel-free future Emissions and Energy A house that produces energy Campus Operations Protecting cyclists and pedestrians Nature and Ecosystems Tackling climate change in the classroom and beyond Health and Well-Being Our students are finding solutions Culture and Learning We are a living lab Explore the 2018 Harvard Sustainability Report detailing our transformation to a healthier, fossil fuel-free community. Climate action In Progress 30% net emissions reduction as of FY17 Our Goal Fossil Fuel-Free by 2050 Waste Per Capita Our Progress 44% Reduction as of FY17 Our Goal 50% Reduction by 2020 Water Use Our Progress 26% Reduction as of FY17 Our Goal 30% Reduction by 2020 Landscaping Our Progress 60% Organic as of FY17 Our Goal 75% Organic by 2020 Explore our sustainability data hub Transparency is a key ingredient for accountability and continual improvement , helping us to uncover new insights and make smarter decisions. An online dashboard featuring interactive graphs allows our community to track progress toward meeting the University's sustainability goals and commitments. Our complementary Data Hub webpage aggregates data sets that are available to our community to use for research and benchmarking. Enhancing the well-being of people and the planet. Explore our sustainability data hub We're moving toward a fossil fuel-free future Emissions and Energy A house that produces energy Campus Operations Protecting cyclists and pedestrians Nature and Ecosystems Tackling climate change in the classroom and beyond Health and Well-Being Our students are finding solutions Culture and Learning We're moving toward a fossil fuel-free future Harvard's Climate Action Plan sets an ambitious path forward to shift campus operations away from fossil fuels. The plan includes two bold, new, science-based targets—fossil fuel-free by 2050 and fossil fuel-neutral by 2026. Emissions and Energy The challenge of climate change demands a bold response and clear action from organizations and individuals. Harvard is committed to transitioning away from fossil fuel use by accelerating solutions that enhance public health, improve building efficiency, and promote renewable energy. Residential spaces account for nearly 31% of campus square footage and 16% of total energy use, while labs account for 22% of total building area but consume nearly 46% of energy use . LEARN MORE 96% of Harvard's emissions are from building electricity use, heating, and cooling. Vehicle fleet and refrigerant losses account for the remaining 4%. LEARN MORE In 2018, Harvard set a bold, second-generation, science-based climate goal to be fossil fuel-free by 2050 and fossil fuel-neutral by 2026. This goal was recognized with a Climate Leadership Award for Excellence in Greenhouse Gas Management (Goal-Setting Certificate) at the 2019 Climate Leadership Conference. With these new goals, the University continues to track greenhouse gas emissions against the original 2006 baseline and maintain the 30% reduction achieved in its first-generation goal . Harvard's emissions inventory was one of the first in higher education to be third-party verified by The Climate Registry , and it is undergoing review to receive Climate Registered status for 2018. Reflects Scope 1 and 2 Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions for North American properties by Fiscal Year. MTCDE = Metric Tons of Carbon Dioxide Equivalent The 2018 numbers presented here are preliminary draft numbers which are being prepared for third-party review. More than 1.5 MW of on-site solar PV , combined with solar thermal, biomass, and geothermal installations play an important role in diversifying Harvard's energy supply and serving as a test ground to inform future action. The highly efficient energy system that will power Harvard's Allston campus prioritizes climate resiliency and includes the largest thermal storage tank in Massachusetts . It has been designed to be as flexible as possible so emerging technologies can be incorporated over time as the University works towards its ambitious climate action goals . Net energy use is down 2% from our 2006 baseline (excluding growth, energy use dropped 18% ). Reductions in building energy use from energy efficiency measures offset the impact of growth in square footage. Energy data is not normalized for weather, which is the primary driver of the change from 2017 to 2018. Harvard has implemented more than 1,000 net present value positive energy conservation projects in our buildings, including many with long payback periods. The most common, shown by share of total upfront implementation costs, are HVAC (heating and cooling) and lighting upgrades . A ground-breaking report conducted by Harvard and the Boston Green Ribbon Commission with the Rocky Mountain Institute’s WattTime and Meister Consultants Group details methods for quantifying the actual emissions impacts of institutional renewable energy purchases , which could create new opportunities for renewable energy buyers to begin reducing emissions even faster, more cheaply, more reliably, and more credibly. Harvard, as Chair of the Boston Green Ribbon Commission's Higher Education Working Group and Vice-Chair of the Cambridge Compact, presented the keynote at the International Institute of Sustainable Labs conference and led a national Lab Energy Use Benchmarking Study . Researchers across Harvard are focused on preparing the world for a future where climate is the number-one threat to public health . READ SERIES ON-SITE SOLAR PHOTOVOLTAIC (PV) , combined with SOLAR THERMAL AND GEOTHERMAL INSTALLATIONS , serve as an important test ground to inform future action. In 2018, Harvard began installation of an innovative 450 KW solar project at the Arnold Arboretum - one of the first of its kind in higher education. It includes solar arrays, a solar awning, and a high-capacity battery array. The Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS) completed the installation of a new 100 KW SOLAR ARRAY on the conjoined roofs of Vanserg and Shannon Hall. Harvard University Housing (HUH) kicked off their 425 KW installation of on-site renewables in Allston. Harvard's new District Energy Facility (DEF) in Allston uses a more efficient low-temperature hot-water distribution system, and it was built to be flexible for emerging technologies such as different fuel sources or other technological advancements like electrification. The DEF also includes the largest thermal storage tank in Massachusetts – the tank is analogous to an enormous battery because the chilled water will be produced and stored during off-peak hours when electricity is cheaper and is often less-polluting (since the most-polluting plants are often used during peak electricity times). The stored chilled water can then be used during the daytime when needed, lowering the burden on the power grid during peak times and potentially reducing fossil fuel emissions and saving money. A house that produces energy The HouseZero team at the Harvard Graduate School of Design (GSD) renovated a pre-1940s house into a first-of-its-kind test case to demonstrate unprecedented levels of building efficiency by producing more energy than it consumes. Now the headquarters of the Harvard Graduate School of Design's Center for Green Buildings and Cities , House Zero aims to prove that ultra-efficient retrofits can, indeed, be achieved and replicated. Campus Operations We pilot and then institutionalize best practices in sustainable operations that conserve resources, reduce pollution, and enhance personal well-being. Harvard has more LEED certified buildings (134) than any other higher education institution, including the first LEED Commercial Interiors (CI) v4 in Massachusetts . “The fact that the institu...