Harvard Office for Sustainability

Accelerating Action for a sustainable future

OUR COMMITMENTS

A holistic approach to address climate, equity, and health

Working to protect the climate and environment, advance a more equitable society, and promote the wellbeing of people at Harvard and beyond. Explore our mission and vision.

View our Sustainability Action PlanOpens new window

How We Power

Accelerating a fossil fuel-free Harvard and world.

How We Build

Harvard is accelerating sustainable building to enhance health, productivity, equity, and quality of life on…

How We Operate

Harvard is accelerating new systems that enable healthier, low-carbon living—creating systems that can be scaled…

How We Lead

Harvard is generating and leveraging innovative knowledge to advance solutions to the climate crisis and…

ACCELERATING CLIMATE ACTION

Harvard, MIT, Mass General form renewable energy collaboration

In a significant step on the path to achieving its climate goals, Harvard announced the formation of the Consortium for Climate Solutions (the Consortium), a first-of-its-kind renewable energy collaboration of higher education, healthcare, and cultural institutions, as well as state and local government entities, led by Harvard, Mass General Brigham (MGB), and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Learn more about the ConsortiumOpens new window

Our Goals

Fossil Fuel-Free by 2050, Fossil Fuel-Neutral by 2026

Goal Zero is focused on completely eliminating the use of fossil fuels in Harvard’s buildings and vehicles, as well as the negative health impacts they cause. Focusing on addressing the wider, harmful impacts of fossil fuels, rather than only greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, enables Harvard to drive progress across climate, equity, and health.

Harvard’s Climate Goals

Updated Harvard Sustainable Building Standards advance climate, health and equity

Harvard released its 2024 Sustainable Building Standards, marking the most significant update since the standards were first developed in 2009. The latest standards now target Living Building Challenge (LBC) Core certification plus the Harvard Healthier Building Academy’s (HHBA) requirements for healthier materials, enhanced indoor air quality, future-proofing for a fossil fuel-free future, and climate resilience.

Rendering by Studio Gang.

Learn MoreOpens new window

Rendering of the Treehouse Conference Center lobby by Studio Gang.

Harvard Expands Green Revolving Fund to support campus decarbonization

Harvard has increased the size of its Green Revolving Fund (GRF) from $12 million to $37 million, providing additional funds to Harvard’s Schools and Business Units to accelerate campus decarbonization and move the University closer toward its goal to be Fossil Fuel-Free by 2050 and meet city building emissions reduction regulations.

Learn MoreOpens new window

Facts and Figures

How we’re modeling sustainability

40% decrease in carbon emissions per sq. ft., 2006-2023

Net emissions reduced by 30% from 2006 to 2023, inclusive of 16% square footage growth at the University.

150 LEED, 2 PHIUS, 1 LBC building certifications

As of 2024, Harvard has 150 LEED-certified buildings on campus; two historically significant buildings that meet PHIUS (Passive House Institute US) certification standards; and 1 Living Building Challenge Petal certification for Harvard's Science and Engineering Complex, the first wet laboratory building to achieve the certification from International Living Future Institute.

3 Megawatts of Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Capacity

Harvard has installed 3 megawatts of solar panel capacity on campus, the equivalent of 600 home installations, as well as 0.5 MW of installed storage.

2M gallons of water saved

thanks to FAS with water conservation at Laboratory for Integrated Science and Engineering (LISE). The Center for Nanoscale Systems at FAS is retrofitting their systems with projected savings of 2,036,945 gallons per year, equal to ~3 Olympic-size swimming pools.

18.5% decrease in food-related carbon impacts

The shift toward plant-based foods as part of the Coolfood Pledge reduced GHG emissions per plate by 18.5% since 2019. Harvard remains on track to meet the Coolfood 2030 goal of a 38% reduction in per-plate emissions.

Icon of an electric bus and emblem that shows decreasing carbon dioxide.

~220K lbs. CO2 emissions averted due to EV buses

Harvard’s electric shuttle buses are averting GHG emissions of ~220,500 pounds of CO2 annually. Since the electric shuttles came online in 2021, Harvard has purchased 10+ new EVs, including mail trucks, box trucks, vans, parking vehicles, and utility vehicles.

Harvard Living Lab

Harvard is uniting students, faculty, and staff to unlock the campus’s potential as a test…

Harvard’s Sustainable Building Standards

Harvard’s Sustainable Building Standards incorporate holistic requirements for significant emissions reductions, better indoor air quality,…

Connect with Sustainability at Harvard

Connect and get involved with sustainability groups and initiatives at Harvard.

Healthful and Sustainable Food

Harvard pledges to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from food by 25% by 2030 as part…

Sustainable Transportation

Harvard is developing and investing in sustainable modes of transportation, ensuring that walking, cycling, and…

Sustainable Water Management

Harvard aims to reduce University-wide potable water use and pollution.

Zero Waste

At Harvard, we aim to sustainably manage all waste streams—including plastics, recyclables, and organics, as…

Annual Sustainability Report

We are using data to uncover new insights and drive continual improvements in how we operate our campus.

View the 2023-2024 ReportOpens new window

Harvard Annual Sustainability Report graphic with icons showing wind turbines, blueprints, a gear, and arrows pointing right.

Sustainability at Harvard

Connect with OFS

Whether you are a student, staff member, alum, or simply interested in learning more about sustainability at Harvard, there are many opportunities to get involved and take action. Explore student opportunities and resources available.

Connect with the Office for Sustainability

Students pose for a photo near the river holding trash removal tools during the 2022 Charles River Clean-Up event.

Accelerating Climate Action, 11 Boston and Cambridge Institutions Collaborate to Invest in Wind and Solar Power

Harvard announces the formation of the Consortium for Climate Solutions (the Consortium), a first-of-its-kind renewable…

Harvard Expands Green Revolving Fund to support campus decarbonization

Harvard has increased the size of its Green Revolving Fund (GRF) from $12 million to…

Updated Harvard Sustainable Building Standards advance climate, health and equity

Harvard University released its 2024 Sustainable Building Standards, which mark the most significant update since…

3 Key Takeaways from New Study on Building Electrification – Introducing the Falcon Curve

The Harvard Healthy Buildings program collaborated with researchers at Boston University School of Public Health,…

Construction begins on A.R.T.’s new home in Allston

Construction has begun in the Allston neighborhood of Boston on the new home of the…