Campus Greening: Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts

The core mission of the Harvard Green Campus Initiative (HGCI) is to make Harvard University a global model of campus environmental sustainability through the successful implementation of the Harvard Campus Sustainability Principles. This is to be achieved by supporting Harvard to become a living laboratory and a learning organization for the development and implementation of environmental sustainability in all areas of university planning, design, construction, and operations.

The HGCI is a university-wide initiative, co-sponsored by University Operations Services and Harvard School of Public Health. It currently employs 20 full time professional staff and 40 part-time students, around two thirds of whom are directly funded by 12 different schools and departments across Harvard. The HGCI’s expertise is in organizational change, green building design, energy conservation, behavioral change, renewable energy, environmental procurement, greenhouse gas reduction strategies, master planning for sustainability, and general green campus project management.

The HGCI is funded 70 percent by fee-for-service partnerships with Harvard’s schools and departments and 30 percent from central administration in FY08. The HGCI also administers a $12 revolving loan fund that is used across Harvard to fund a wide range of projects that have environmental and financial returns for Harvard University. In addition, the HGCI teaches two courses at the Harvard extension school based on Campus Sustainability and Green Buildings. Guest lectures are also given in numerous courses across the University, and HGCI conducts research in partnership with faculty.

Among the ongoing achievements of the HGCI are:

o Compiling a comprehensive Greenhouse Gas Inventory for the entire campus and for each school.

o Achieving LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) green building certification for 20 new construction and renovation projects from 2002–07, the highest number of LEED-registered projects of any university in the United States. Many projects have energy performances of 30–50 percent above code and construction recycling rates of over 90 percent.

o Undertaking building energy assessments to identify and implement building upgrades. Recent upgrades have achieved energy-use reductions of 30 percent in target buildings and over 200 new energy-conservation measures for implementation in FY08.

o Creating Residential Green Living programs to engage 9,000 undergraduate and graduate residential students. Recycling rates have increased by 40-plus percent and energy use has declined by 10–15 percent.

o Developing creative and successful social marketing campaigns, including the annual environmental cartoon (CERTOON) competition (139 entries in 2006), the online Empower Harvard pledge (7,000 participants in 2006), and the Vision of Sustainability art and design competition (over 100 entries).

o Purchasing renewable energy certificates to offset 7 percent of Harvard’s electricity consumption.

o Expanding the use of local and organic produce in Harvard University Dining Service.

—Submitted by Christine Benoit,
Manager of Communications and Business Organization,
Harvard Green Campus Initiative.