How we are accelerating action toward a healthy, sustainable, fossil fuel-free future.
A message from Harvard’s Chief Sustainability Officer
Harvard is harnessing world-renowned research and the thought leadership of our faculty and students to enhance climate, health, and community. We continue to use our campus as a testbed to pilot and prove scalable sustainability and climate solutions.
Our report covers 2024 accomplishments, and we are proud to highlight updated Sustainable Building Standards targeting Living Building Challenge (LBC) Core certification and Harvard Healthier Building Academy goals. Through an innovative approach to volume certifications for LBC Core, our project teams have been able to achieve these holistic Standards yet focus on innovative solutions to address climate and health. Achievements include low-energy buildings without onsite fossil fuels, reductions in embodied carbon, optimizing stormwater reuse, improving indoor air quality, incorporating healthier materials that benefit both people and the planet, and designing regenerative landscapes.
Harvard continues to decarbonize our historic and urban campus while addressing the negative impact of fossil fuel emissions on climate and health. In 2024, Harvard announced the formation of the Consortium for Climate Solutions, a first-of-its-kind renewable energy collaboration led by Harvard University, Mass General Brigham, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. These virtual power purchasing agreements (VPPAs) for new utility-scale renewable energy projects, when combined with Harvard’s renewable procurement in New England, means Harvard is purchasing the equivalent of 100% of its electricity from renewable sources starting in 2026.
This annual report captures our progress against our goals and showcases transformative sustainability solutions implemented in partnership with faculty, students, staff and our community over the past year.
— Heather Henriksen, Chief Sustainability Officer
Over the past several decades, Harvard has expanded its sustainability practices by setting ambitious climate goals and piloting, testing, and scaling new solutions to achieve those goals. The University is focused on decarbonization, lowering emissions, and transforming the way institutions approach sustainable building through improved standards and the Harvard Healthier Building Academy. Through bold commitments, creative problem-solving, and a campus-wide dedication to sustainability, Harvard has modeled how every institution and organization can play a pivotal role in creating a sustainable future.
1.3M
MWh/year of new renewable energy from two large-scale projects added to the US electric grid in 2025 as part of the Consortium for Climate Solutions.
8
major capital projects at Harvard are on track to achieve at least 20%, and up to 50%, reduction in embodied carbon compared to conventional construction.
~40%
reduction in Harvard’s GHG emissions per square foot from 2006-2024. Total emissions declined 32% despite a 14% increase in building sq. footage.
19
Certified Green Restaurants®, making Harvard the Green Restaurant Association’s Greenest University with the most certified Green Restaurants in both 2024 and in 2025.
~32%
of Harvard’s vehicle fleet are either electric, hybrid, or biodiesel. In 2024, 27 new EV chargers were added at more than five parking locations.
200+
Green Revolving fund projects focused on energy efficiency and decarbonization projects across 25 departments.
How We Power
Harvard is focused on decarbonizing its campus toward its goal to be Fossil Fuel-Free by 2050. The University is addressing emissions throughadvanced energyefficiency measures, decarbonizing its energy supply,electrification projects, renewable electricity procurement, and increasing its EV fleet. Mission-driven projects are the priority and provide opportunities to decarbonize.
In February 2018, a faculty-led Climate Change Task Force recommended Harvard set a goal to be Fossil Fuel-Free by 2050. Known as Goal Zero, this target is focused on eliminating the use of fossil fuels in Harvard’s buildings, district energy systems and vehicles by 2050.
Harvard’s decarbonization efforts build on the successful energy savings strategies that helped the University achieve its first climate goal in 2016 – to reduce net emissions by 30% against a 2006 baseline, even as the campus’s physical footprint grew.
As a bridge to Goal Zero, the faculty-led Climate Change Task Force recommended Harvard set a near-term objective to become Fossil Fuel-Neutral by the end of calendar year 2026. This means that in addition to reducing Harvard’s own emissions, the University will zero out Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions by funding high-quality and high-integrity projects, including the two new large-scale renewable energy projects enabled by a renewable buyers Consortium, co-led by Harvard. These projects add new, clean energy to the U.S. electricity grid through virtual power purchase agreements (vPPAs). Once fully operating, these projects allow Harvard to address almost 50% of its GHG emissions toward its goals.
Why did Harvard set the goal to be Fossil Fuel-Neutral by 2026?
Solar panels are installed at Harvard’s Arnold Arboretum.
The faculty-led Climate Change Task Force that recommended Harvard’s climate goals recognized it would take many years to eliminate fossil fuel emissions from our own district energy, buildings, and vehicles, but the Task Force also acknowledged Harvard has an urgent responsibility to help cut GHG emissions and air pollution from fossil fuels. For that reason, the Climate Change Task Force also recommended a goal to be Fossil Fuel-Neutral by 2026.
The Harvard Healthy Buildings program at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health (HSPH), with researchers from Oregon State University College of Engineering, and Boston University School of Public Health, developed a tool called the Co-Benefits of the Built Environment (CoBE) to help building owners, operators, investors, and others quantify health and climate benefits for evidence-based decision-making. The Harvard Office for Sustainability has been working with researchers from the T.H. Chan School of Public Health on a first-of-its-kind effort, to our knowledge, for a University to estimate not only its greenhouse gas emissions footprint, but to also estimate the health impact from air pollution caused by energy use.
The CoBE team – with researchers from the Harvard Healthy Buildings program at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health (HSPH), Oregon State University, and Boston University – developed the Co-benefits of the Built Environment (CoBE) Projection tool, which quantifies the health and climate impacts of building energy use. CoBE uses information about a building’s location, energy sources, and energy consumption to estimate its greenhouse gas and air pollutant emissions. Then, using standard tools from climate economics and public health – the social cost of carbon and air pollution models which incorporate the value of a statistical life – CoBE generates estimates of the health and climate costs specific to the location of the buildings.
1.3 million megawatt-hours of renewable electricity/year
from two newly built, large-scale renewable energy projects will be added to the US electric grid as part of the Consortium for Climate Solutions.
~130,000 homes' electricity annually
produced by the two projects' 1.3 million MWh/year of clean electricity.
~1 million tons of emissions avoided
(metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent) thanks to the annual 1.3M megawatt-hours of new renewable energy generated by the two projects.
11 local partners
based in Boston and Cambridge to form the Consortium for Climate Solutions, a first-of-its-kind renewable energy aggregation led by Harvard, MIT, MGB, and PowerOptions.
The Bowman Wind project in Bowman County, North Dakota will generate 208 MW of energy, enough to power more than ~80,000 homes annually.
Harvard, MIT, Mass General Brigham form first-of-its-kind renewable energy procurement
The Big Elm Solar project in Bell County, Texas is a 200 MW facility that generates enough energy to power up to ~44,000 homes annually.
Harvard, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Massachusetts General Brigham, and PowerOptions led the Consortium for Climate Solutions, a first-of-its-kind renewable energy aggregation that exemplifies collaboration on climate action, enabling greater renewable energy investment than any single institution alone.
The partnership of 11 organizations, including the City of Cambridge and smaller non-profits, were able to invest in renewable energy by sharing resources and negotiating together. Municipal procurement barriers were eliminated, paving the way for other cities to engage in similar initiatives. The Consortium enabled the development of two large-scale renewable energy projects that will add 1.3 million megawatt-hours of renewable electricity annually to the U.S. grid.
These virtual power purchasing agreements (vPPAs) for new, utility-scale renewable energy projects, when combined with Harvard’s renewable procurement in New England, means Harvard is purchasing the equivalent of 100% of its electricity from renewable sources starting in 2026.
The Unique Power of Collaboration: Inside the Consortium for Climate Solutions
Who are the partners? Harvard, MIT, and Mass General Brigham serve as the project anchors, procuring the largest volume of energy through the aggregation. PowerOptions was brought in and presented the opportunity to its members, engaging the City of Cambridge and other smaller buyers to participate.
What is the anticipated impact? The impact of these two projects, when combined with Harvard’s renewable electricity procurement in New England, will mean 100% of Harvard’s electricity use will be matched with renewable electricity generation by 2026.
What makes this Consortium unique? Smaller organizations were able to invest in impactful, more affordable renewable energy by sharing resources and negotiating together, and municipal procurement barriers were eliminated, paving the way for other cities to engage in similar initiatives. The work provides a scalable model for future private, public, non-profit partnerships to accelerate renewable energy projects and transition to a clean energy future. In 2025, members received the Nicholas Humber Award for Outstanding Collaboration from the Environmental Business Council of New England in recognition of this groundbreaking partnership.
One-third of Harvard’s shuttle bus fleet is electric.In 2024, Harvard purchased its first 100% electric passenger van.
Transforming Our Fleet
Harvard Transportation is increasing its use of alternative-fuel vehicles, including fully electric vehicles (EVs) and EV charging stations. The University’s shuttle fleet is nearly one-third electric, and the entire University fleet includes 18 University-owned electric shuttle buses, cars, vans, and specialized vehicles operating on both the Cambridge and Allston campuses. Recent additions have expanded EV charging capacity across multiple parking locations.
Alongside EVs, Harvard’s fleet features numerous biodiesel vehicles such as trucks, buses, and vans, all powered by renewable fuels. Hybrid vehicles, including accessible vans, cars, and police vehicles, are also in regular use across the University’s operations. Learn more about transportation and commuting.
32% of vehicle fleet use alternative-fuels
Harvard’s vehicle fleet includes hybrid, electric, and biodiesel vehicles.
18 total University-owned electric vehicles
used on the Cambridge and Allston campuses. Three new EVs were purchased in 2024-2025. In addition to an EV van, these EV purchases included two firsts for Harvard: its first 100% electric passenger van and first 100% electric pickup truck.
20 new EV charging stations
installed at more than five parking locations in 2024-2025. While 27 new EV charging stations were installed in total, some replaced outdated stations, resulting in a net addition of 20 EV charging stations.
How We Build
Through sustainable design, construction, sourcing, and operation of our buildings and landscapes, we aim to enhance the health of people and the planet, focusing on reducingemissions of our operations and fossil fuel use throughout the value chain while improving quality of life on Harvard’s campus and in the surrounding community.
~90% of the Rubenstein Treehouse's stormwater will be managed on-site
through infiltration or retained for reuse, or the equivalent of ~425,000 gallons of water or ~24,000 daily showers per year.
90% 'green' leases win Platinum-level award
for Harvard University Housing and Real Estate (HUHRE), awarded by the Green Lease Leaders program. These high-performance or "green" residential leases contain language focused on meeting building sustainability goals, engaging residents, and encouraging sustainable practices.
2 new mass timber building projects under construction
in Allston, including the Goel Center for Creativity & Performance and the David Rubenstein Treehouse Conference Center. Mass timber offers a more sustainable alternative to traditional materials, contributing to a significant reduction in embodied carbon.
>90% of Smith Campus Center ventilation system electrified
system achieved through the replacement of two rooftop air handling units (AHU) that will integrate heat pumps and several exhaust fans, enhancing energy recovery.
>4,500 windows replaced by FAS House Renewal
improving insulation and thermal comfort at the Houses renovated so far, including Stone Hall, McKinlock, Dunster, Winthrop, Lowell, and Adams Houses.
~80% reduction of embodied carbon in skylight design at HMS West Commons
a brand new collaborative gathering space that connects three buildings, thanks to the selection of wood “glulam” (glued laminated timber) structure over a more traditional steel structure.
Sustainable Building Standards Advance Climate, Health, + Target LBC Core
Harvard University released its 2024 Sustainable Building Standards in November 2024, which marks the most significant update since the standards were first developed in 2009 to require LEED Gold and additional climate and health requirements. The 2024 standards now target Living Building Challenge (LBC) Core certification in addition to future-proofing for a fossil fuel-free future and climate resilience, Harvard Healthier Building Academy’s (HHBA) enhanced requirements for healthier materials, more fresh air and improved indoor air quality.
Harvard’s Holistic Approach to Sustainable Building
The Sustainable Building Standards are structured around a third-party certification, LBC Core certification. Harvard has set additional requirements, with input from researchers, that are aligned with our institutional goals. The LBC Core certification is a significant benchmark in sustainable building because of its holistic philosophy that not only reduces negative impacts, but creates buildings that have a net positive environmental and social impact. Projects must meet all imperatives, including topics like energy and carbon reduction, responsible materials and sourcing, universal access, ecosystem health, and more. These streamlined requirements demand real, verifiable, and holistic excellence, and represent the best practices for building sustainably. Harvard is able to achieve these standards through a unique volume certification program with Living Future that reduces the administrative work by ~50% and enables project teams to focus on achieving energy, resiliency and supply chain innovations.
Through a multi-year process, the2024 Sustainable Building Standards were developed and piloted on eight projects that are representative of Harvard’s diverse building portfolio. The standards were envisioned in collaboration with a subcommittee of multidisciplinary Harvard faculty, part of the Presidential Committee on Sustainability, as well as operational leaders and staff from across the University. The standards were also developed using external benchmarking to align Harvard’s sustainability goals with leading sustainable building practices.
The Sustainable Building Standards require reduction in embodied carbon in the primary materials used in new construction and gut renovation projects by a minimum of 20% compared to a conventional building.
HHBA’s mission is to design, build, and operate healthier buildings, which includes supporting a healthier supply chain without the use of harmful classes of chemicals (e.g., PFAS, chemical flame retardants, antimicrobials, etc.), better indoor air quality in buildings, and providing access to daylight and nature.
In 2024, HHBA expanded its initial list of interior product categories from five (set in 2017) to 14 interior product categories. HHBA products do not contain chemical flame retardants, PFAS/forever chemicals and antimicrobials and go further on chemical class avoidance where possible.It is important to note that the great majority of these materials do not cost more, are durable and even preferred by cleaning staff.
Our studies have found that spaces refitted to follow our playbook had nearly 80% lower levels of forever chemicals in the dust compared to spaces that were renovated earlier.
Heather Henriksen is Harvard’s Chief Sustainability Officer, and she leads the Office for Sustainability; Joseph G. Allen is an associate professor and director of the Healthy Buildings program at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. He is also the co-author, with John D. Macomber, of Healthy Buildings: How Buildings Can Make You Sick — or Keep You Well (Harvard University Press); Michael W. Toffel is the Senator John Heinz Professor of Environmental Management at Harvard Business School, host of the HBS Climate Rising podcast, and co-lead of the HBS Online Business and Climate Change course.
Public School Project Uses HHBA Playbook
Rendering by MDS Architects/Sasaki.
In 2024, Harvard Chief Sustainability Officer Heather Henriksen and her team at the Harvard Office for Sustainability (OFS) joined the project team for a MA state new elementary school to partner with the town and the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA).
OFS’s role was to replicate and apply the Harvard Healthier Building Academy’s playbook to a public school project by choosing building materials without harmful classes of chemicals (e.g., PFAS/forever chemicals).
Because public procurement law requires three equals for all materials specified, additional research by Harvard was necessary to ensure material ingredient transparency from all bidders, yet this was possible as the healthier products don’t cost more, it is the research to find them that is challenging.
Harvard successfully researched and vetted manufacturing ingredients, modeling healthier materials best practices that can be adopted and scaled for future public school projects locally and nationally.
Sustainable Building Spotlights
Construction of 100 South Campus Drive (left) and the Goel Center for Creativity &Performance (right) in Allston in June 2025. Both buildings are designed to meet Harvard’s 2024 Sustainable Building Standards, pursuing LBC Core certification and Harvard Healthier Building Academy healthier materials in all 14 product categories.
The 340,000 square-foot residential building at 100 South Campus Drive in Allston achieved Passive House Institute U.S. (PHIUS) design certification in 2024 and will have no fossil fuels in the building.Rendering by Marvel Architects.
The David Rubenstein Treehouse Conference Center,also under construction in Allston, has set a new bar for sustainable design at Harvard. It is designed to have no fossil fuels in the building, including an all-electric commercial kitchen, and significant embodied carbon reductions through a mass timber structure and low-embodied concrete that uses ground glass pozzolan (GGP), a recycled glass product, instead of fly ash. The building also increased fresh air supply, uses healthier and locally sourced materials, manages stormwater onsite for retention and reuse, and much more. Rendering by Studio Gang
Rubenstein Treehousereducesembodied carbon more than 50% through use of a mass timber structure, low embodied carbon insulation, glazing and a healthier, low embodied carbon concrete in the foundation and building structure. Instead of fly ash, structural and non-structural concrete used Ground Glass Pozzolan, a recycled glass product–a first in Massachusetts. Rendering by Studio Gang
The David E. and Stacey L. Goel Center for Creativity & Performance, the new home of the American Repertory Theater (A.R.T.) at Harvard University, is designed without fossil fuels in the building and will connect to Harvard’s low temperature hot water District Energy Facility. Rendering by DeMaterial
The David E. and Stacey L. Goel Center for Creativity & Performance is reducing embodied carbon through the use cross laminated mass timber, which has significantly lower embodied carbon compared to concrete and steel, as well as cedar cladding and use of reclaimed brick for interior spaces. Rendering by DeMaterial.
Gund Hall’s renovation blends historic architecture with modern sustainability, featuring custom triple vacuum insulated glass (VIG) to enhance energy efficiency. It is one of the first U.S. projects to use hybrid and regular VIG on this scale, reducing embodied carbon and improving comfort.
An aerial view of 100 South Campus Drive in Allston. Photo by Harvard University Planning and Design (HUPAD).
The new West Commons project at Harvard Medical School has a skylight atrium enclosing a 7,000 SF courtyard at Building C toconnect researchers across three buildings. Selecting glulam (a sustainable lumber product) over steel is anticipated to reduce the embodied carbon of the skylight structure by approximately 80%. Rendering by Architecture Research Office.
Interior of Gund Hall.Exterior of Gund Hall.
Gund Hall, GSD
Melding Heritage and Innovation at the Harvard Graduate School of Design
The renovation of Gund Hall – first built in 1972 – aimed to preserve the building’s historic architecture while improving its energy performance, comfort, and sustainability.
The project retained the original steel façade support system to reduce embodied carbon, presenting challenges for integrating high-performance glazing.
Glazing was replaced with custom triple vacuum insulated glass(VIG) for improved weather resistance and energy efficiency. Gund Hall is among the first projects in the United States to employ hybrid and regularVIGon this scale.
Thermal performance is two to four times greater than standard insulating glass and up to 10 times better than single glazing.
The “trays” – a five-story glass-enclosed studio block – make up 28% of Gund Hall’s floor area but consumed 46% of its energy pre-renovation. The project is anticipated to achieve a ~20% reduction in utility costs and a 22% reduction in energy use intensity, equivalent to 18,000 kg CO2 in avoided emissions annually.
The project also widened the exits to the tray’s outdoor terraces, making them wheelchair accessible for the first time.
The David Rubenstein Treehouse Conference Center in Allston. Rendering by StudioGangThe David Rubenstein Treehouse Conference Center in Allston. Rendering by StudioGangThe David Rubenstein Treehouse Conference Center in Allston. Rendering by StudioGang
David Rubenstein Treehouse Conference Center
Targeting to be most sustainable conference center in MA
Opening later in fall of 2025, the David Rubenstein Treehouse will be a leading example of holistic sustainability performance.
Rubenstein Treehouse has set a new bar for sustainable design at Harvard. It is designed with no fossil fuels in the building, including an all-electric commercial kitchen, and its design significantly reduces embodied carbon, increases fresh air supply, uses healthier materials (removing chemical classes of concern, like PFAS/forever chemicals) plus locally-sourced materials, manages stormwater on-site for retention and reuse, and much more.
Displacement ventilation delivers fresh air through the floor, relying on the buoyancy of warmer air to ventilate the space and exhaust pollutants toward the ceiling. This approach improves air quality and creates a quieter, more comfortable environment for occupants, while still dramatically reducing energy use.
In addition to pursuing Living Building Challenge (LBC) Core certification, the Rubenstein Treehouse is piloting LBC Petal Certification for Materials, to drive transparency in the marketplace and compare the certification against the more rigorous healthier materials requirements of Harvard’s Healthier Building Academy (HHBA). The building also prioritizes material transparency for all building materials (not just the 14 HHBA product categories) and synergies in design to reduce environmental impact.
Reduction of embodied carbon through use of a mass timber structure, low embodied carbon insulation, glazing and healthier low embodied carbon concrete in the foundation and building structure. Instead of fly ash, structural and non-structural concrete used Ground Glass Pozzolan (GGP), a recycled glass product–a first in Massachusetts to be used in the structural concrete and substantially throughout the project.
Strategies included use of locally sourced materials to reduce transportation emissions and support a strong regional economy, designing for disassembly to support the reuse and recycling of materials at the end of their useful life, and harvesting mass timber from responsibly managed forests.
The use of bird-safe fritted glass, designed to prevent collisions, supports a safer and healthier ecosystem.
Revitalizing a former brownfield site into a regenerative, resilient landscape. The site is engineered to manage ~90% annual rainfall on site through an integrated series of landscape features including stormwater gardens, bio-retention swales, plantings, cisterns, and permeable paving.
The Rubenstein Treehouse is designed to provide 75% more outside air than code minimums to prioritize occupant health, cognition, and productivity.
Seizing Opportunities to Decarbonize Harvard’s Campus
Harvard’s recent sustainable building projects showcase a shared commitment to decarbonization of operational and embodied emissions, humanhealth and comfort, and pursuit of leading sustainability certifications. From historic renovations to new construction, these projects prioritize all-electric systems in the building, healthier and energy efficient ventilation, embodied carbon reductions, use of healthier and local materials, regenerative site strategies and are climate resilient.
Rendering by Architecture Research Office.
The new West Commons project creates a collaborative gathering space for Harvard Medical School, befitting the beauty and character of its historic 1906 campus context.
The skylight atrium encloses a 7,000 SF courtyard at Building C to connect researchers across three buildings.
Selecting glulam (a sustainable lumber product) over steel is anticipated to reduce the embodied carbon of the skylight structure by approximately 80%.
Extensive daylight, glare and energy analysis served to optimize the glazing of the skylight for energy reduction and health and productivity. A ceramic frit was specified for the glass to limit summer solar gains and the frit density varies from 60% opaque in areas with the most direct sun to 40% opaque in areas with the least.
The team also prioritized increased ventilation by 75% in regularly occupied spaces and utilized displacement ventilation in the courtyard space to increase air for health in an energy efficient way.
Energy efficient design strategies include: Dual wheel Energy Recovery Ventilation with demand control ventilation, decoupling the ventilation from the heating and cooling systems, displacement ventilation with radiant floor heating in the courtyard, reduced lighting power density and, air cooled chiller with enhanced efficiency.
Rendering by DeMaterial
Natural ventilation, solar PV array, green roofs, healthier materials & cross laminated mass timber
Directly adjacent to 100 South Campus Drive, a new and highly sustainable 85,000 square foot performing arts center is under construction. The David E. and Stacey L. Goel Center for Creativity & Performance, the new home of the American Repertory Theater (A.R.T.), has been conceived and will be programmed to center community – it will be a building to foster groundbreaking performance, public gathering, teaching, and international research.
The project is designed without fossil fuels in the building and will connect to Harvard’s low temperature hot water District Energy Facility.
It has an energy use intensity that is very low for a performing arts center, illustrating its energy efficient design. A key strategy is that the building is designed for natural ventilation when outside conditions allow and has a very efficient building envelope.
A large expansive green roof will reduce storm water system requirements.
The project is reducing embodied carbon through the use cross laminated mass timber, which has significantly lower embodied carbon compared to concrete and steel, as well as cedar cladding and use of reclaimed brick for interior spaces.
Photo by Harvard University Planning and Design (HUPAD).
Healthier Living and Passive House and LBC Core at Scale
The building will include 276 new units of housing for Harvard and Harvard affiliates and is designed to meet Harvard’s 2024 Sustainable Building Standards, pursuing LBC Core certification and HHBA healthier materials in all 14 product categories.
The large residential building at 100 South Campus Drive in Allston achieved Passive House Institute U.S. (PHIUS) design certification in 2024.
As part of a routine mechanical equipment replacement project at the Smith Campus Center (SCC), the team, working with OFS, identified ways to support the University’s decarbonization goals within existing scope and budget. As a result, the project has been designed to electrify the ventilation system for >90% of the year to targeted upgrades:
The SCC, which is a large energy-intensive building, is replacing aging equipment including two rooftop air handling units (AHU), several exhaust fans, and one rooftop generator.
The team ultimately landed on partial electrification via heat pumps with hot water backup, achieving >90% electrification of the ventilation without requiring electrical upgrades, remaining within budget, and maintaining the project schedule. The upgrade provides a measurable impact to reduce fossil fuel use within a limited scope project while a larger decarbonization strategy is being studied.
How We Operate
Harvard is accelerating new systems that enable healthier, low-carbon living and can be scaled and adopted more broadly. By developing new systems and practices, we are modeling sustainable operations that can lead to healthier communities. We have Sustainability Standards for Harvard’s operational areas: food, IT, landscaping, cleaning, and more.
How is Harvard targeting Scope 3 Emissions in its supply chain?
Harvard is constructing two mass timber buildings in Allston. Mass timber offers a lower carbon alternative to traditional building materials like steel and concrete, contributing to a significant reduction in embodied carbon. Explore sustainable building in this report.
Purchased Goods & Services (“PGS”) is a large, high-impact category of Scope 3 GHG emissions for many higher education institutions, but since emissions data on products and suppliers is very limited, it can be difficult to know where and how to prioritize action. The Harvard Office for Sustainability partnered with sustainability and procurement staff from Stanford, MIT, and Yale to identify PGS and Capital Goods subcategories particularly relevant to higher education: Labs, Buildings & Construction, Food, and IT. Read the white paper, “Reducing Emissions from Purchased Goods & Services: Where to Begin? Recommended Areas of Focus for Higher Education.”
Harvard is helping lead the way to measure and address Scope 3 emissions. The Harvard Office for Sustainability presented on this topic at a variety of local and national conferences. Learn more about how Harvard is tackling Scope 3 emissions.
2 University-wide Scope 3 goals
target avoided embodied carbon in construction and avoided emissions from our food supply, which also reduces food waste and costs. Harvard is also prioritizing data collection and action within IT, business travel, employee commuting, waste, water, and other purchased goods and services.
25% reduction goal in food-related emissions by 2030
Harvard was an inaugural signatory of the Coolfood Pledge in 2019 and is on track to meet its goal to reduce food-related emissions by 25% by 2030.
8 capital projects on target
to meet embodied carbon reduction targets, achieving at least 20% avoided embodied carbon compared to conventional construction.
Advancing Sustainable IT
The Harvard University Information Technology (HUIT) team was awarded SustainableIT.org’s Responsible AI Impact Award, which recognizes “organizations that exemplify and facilitate the effective and sustainable deployment and use of AI at scale within the enterprise”. In particular, the award committee recognized HUIT’s work on Harvard’s AI guidelines, innovation programs (including the Executive Vice President Artificial Intelligence Innovation Program, or EVP AIIP), and the AI Sandbox tool for enabling responsible experimentation with AI across the University.
Pictured: At Harvard’s 2025 Earth Day event, HUIT collected and properly disposed of 480 hard drives, 103 laptops, and 136 cell phones within a few hours. Proper disposal of sensitive materials through shredding and recycling preserves privacy, reduces landfill waste, and supports environmental sustainability. Learn how to properly dispose of e-waste at Harvard.
Leading on Sustainable IT
Jack Sawyer, Harvard’s Sustainable IT Lead
In our increasingly digital world, IT systems have become significant contributors to global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Harvard University Information Technology (HUIT) is collaborating with teams across the University, including the Harvard Office for Sustainability (OFS), to examine and reduce the impact of Harvard’s IT emissions and e-waste. To help advance these efforts, HUIT hired its first-ever staff member focused on sustainable IT to play an integral role in addressing that impact and aligning technology with the University’s sustainability goals through innovative strategies. Read More in a Q&A with Jack Sawyer, Harvard’s Sustainable IT Lead.
Food
SINCE 2019
Coolfood Pledge
As an inaugural signatory to Coolfood, Harvard aims to:
Reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) from food by 25% by 2030
Reduce per-plate emissions by 38% by 2030
Simultaneously enable and support sustainable food systems
It has been five years since Harvard developed its Sustainable and Healthful Food Standards, which all four of the University’s major food vendors report into and follow. These standards guide and support vendors to make continuous progress in areas such as: climate and ecosystems, consumer wellbeing, education and food literacy, food waste reduction, animal welfare, and wellbeing of workers and communities along the value chain.
Harvard won the Green Restaurant Association (GRA) Greenest University Award in both 2024 and 2025. Harvard has 19 Certified Green Restaurants® that have collectively taken more than 1,000 environmental steps to earn over 4,200 GreenPoints™.
Delicious, Plant-Based Dining at Harvard Faculty Club (HFC): HFC is helping Harvard reduce its food emissions impact by expanding the array of delicious plant-based options. Guided by the World Resources Institute (WRI) Food Service Playbook, Executive Chef Rolando Abaquin crafted a plant-based menu that showcases diverse flavors, balanced nutrition, and fresh ingredients. Abaquin’s team makes almost everything in-house from scratch, enabling HFC’s culinary creativity and successful food waste reduction strategies like upcycling.
Delicious, plant-based dining at Harvard Faculty Club (HFC) from Executive Chef Rolando Abaquin’s plant-based menu.
Harvard Office for Sustainability staff held three presentations to train Harvard Business School Restaurant Associates on the risks of PFAS and how to avoid them in dining, as well as waste avoidance and diversion in the kitchen.
The Food 4 Thought Festival, held in April 2025, is a student-run event partially sponsored by the Harvard Office for Sustainability’s Student Grant program. The first-of-its-kind festival brings together students from around the world to envision the future of the food system. The 2025 event featured speakers, researchers, food vendors, field visits, a career fair and networking, and more.
With funding from the President’s Administrative Innovation Fund (PAIF), Mather House piloted a reusable container program to leverage the technology and psychology of library book lending. The pilot supports Harvard’s Zero Waste vision by making it simple to take food to go from the dining hall in a more sustainable way. The program also aims to reduce the number of to-go containers – in the 2024-2025 academic year, HUDS used more than 630,000 compostable to-go containers in undergraduate locations.
The Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health (HSPH) continues to manage a Reuse Room that accepts small office supplies, home goods, and lab equipment that can be reused by students, faculty, and staff. This reduces waste and spending by ensuring all surplus supplies can be used, and unnecessary additional equipment is not purchased.
The Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health (HSPH) also expanded the Pipette Tip Box Recycling Program following a successful pilot in early 2023. GreenLabs Recycling, the local company that picks up and recycles this lab plastic, reports that HSPH has diverted 1,476 lbs. of plastic, which is approximately 5,859 boxes, in calendar year 2024. (In 2023, the data were 825 lbs. of plastic and 3,301 boxes.) The boxes are sorted and shredded to create a raw material for use in manufacturing, including the production of autoclavable waste transfer bins by GreenLabs. Labs at HSPH have purchased and are using these waste bins, which are made from 100% recycled materials collected from Greater Boston area laboratories, furthering local closed-loop recycling/manufacturing efforts. This program is also offered at HMS.
Glass pipette recycling at a lab.
The Harvard Kennedy School (HKS) Degree Programs and Student Affairs team (DPSA) and Campus Planning and Operations (CPO) partnered with Quench Buggy to introduce mobile water stations for Commencement activities. These stations replaced the previous 120+ five-gallon water jugs used to hydrate the campus over multiple events during Commencement Week as an additional means to reduce plastic use over HKS’ largest event of the year. In 2022, HKS Commencement went plastic water bottle free, and sources the materials for its 3,000+ Commencement Day celebration meals from compostable materials to be composted in campus waste streams.
Harvard Business School(HBS) held a Clothing Swap to allow HBS students and staff to donate clothes and shop for free, discovering hidden treasures without contributing to fast fashion.
The Harvard Graduate School of Design (GSD) created a system to collect accurate data on their waste streams, allowing them to focus their efforts to divert and reduce waste overall. In 2024, the GSD’s lead sustainability intern, Cory Page, was awarded the 2024 MassRecycle Award recognizing outstanding achievements in and contributions towards recycling, reuse, and waste reduction in Massachusetts for the GSD Zero Waste Project.
Commuting, Sustainably
MBTA Monthly Pass Transit Benefit increased from 50% to 60% for full-time, benefits-eligible employees who do not have an annual parking permit.
Commute with Confidenceis a program designed to support commuters in the event of an emergency and provide no-cost services to qualified individuals, regardless of their mode of transportation. The Bicycle Roadside Assistance program, launched in 2024, is a brand new, on-demand service that meets bicycle commuters at their location for emergency repairs. Other services include the Guaranteed Ride Home and Motorist Assistance programs.
Bling Your Bike Kits: DIY bling your bike kits were produced by the CommuterChoice program and distributed to 20 University stakeholders interested in promoting visibility and awareness for bikers during the colder and darker periods of the year. The kits consisted of reflective stickers, reflective tape, reflective spoke lights, front and rear lights, and a customizable poster for event promotion.
The Harvard Transportation Safety Committee launched a Driver Safety Video that trains large vehicle operators on how to navigate the road safely with vulnerable road users, such as pedestrians and bicyclists. The training will be mandatory for all Campus Services vehicle operators.
18 total University-owned electric vehicles
used on the Cambridge and Allston campuses. Three new EVs were purchased in 2024-2025. In addition to an EV van, these EV purchases included two firsts for Harvard: its first 100% electric passenger van and first 100% electric pickup truck.
4,600+ average monthly MBTA passes held by commuters
including Cambridge-based faculty, staff, and graduate students. Nearly 16% of commuters take public transit, while 23% walk, 13% bicycle, and 14% drive alone.
20 new EV charging stations
installed at more than five parking locations in 2024-2025. While 27 new EV charging stations were installed in total, some were upgraded to replace outdated stations, resulting in a net addition of 20 EV charging stations.
Water
1.5 million gallons of water reduced annually by Harvard University Dining Services
through facility changes to refrigeration controls, exhaust fan controls, dish washing equipment, and refrigeration waste heat capture.
2.5 million gallons of water captured in rainwater tanks
and used for lab water (reverse osmosis deionized water), toilet flushing, and irrigation/landscaping at the Science and Engineering Complex in 2024.
More than 60% of water sensors are ‘smart’ sensors
used in outdoor irrigation systems used by Harvard landscaping vendors, which reduce wasting water and significant savings.
Sustainably Managing Stormwater
Rendering by StudioGang
The site of the new David Rubenstein Treehouse Conference Center is engineered to manage stormwater including an integrated series of landscape features including stormwater gardens, bioretention swales (that capture storm water), plantings, cisterns, and permeable paving. Urban-scale bioswale and bio-classroom visibly manage stormwater with vegetative treatment. Subgrade stormwater recharge tanks, permeable paving, tanks, and bioswales work together to store the first 2.75” of rainfall on site, significantly reducing runoff to the Charles River.
Landscaping
100+ pieces of electric landscaping equipment
used by Harvard Landscaping, Arnold Arboretum, and other major vendors.
85-90% native plant species
maintained by Harvard’s major landscaping vendors, including ~40,000 square feet of region-specific native plantings at the Rubenstein Treehouse Conference Center, featuring around 75 species and over 110 climate-resilient trees.
5,000 trees
on Harvard’s Cambridge campus, spanning 166+ species—including Maple, Oak, and Honeylocust—that not only define the landscape but also support biodiversity, manage stormwater, and help reduce the urban heat island effect.
Rewilding the Landscape at Harvard Business School
In the two years since a small section of the HBS landscape was rewilded as part of a pilot project, the site has begun to flourish with native and pollinator-friendly plantings. Developed in partnership with the 2022 FAS course HIST 1973: Re-wilding Harvard, HBS Operations, Reed Hilderbrand Landscape Architecture, and Cambridge Landscaping, this site—an island in a parking lot—was designed to serve as a visible and ecologically impactful “steppingstone” connecting other green spaces around campus. This rewilding pilot is part of a broader initiative by HBS to support biodiversity, with additional projects including pollinator-friendly Alyssum along Harvard Way, and new pollinator plantings from recent and future landscape projects.
The rewilded Batten mound in June 2025.
The rewilded Batten mound in June 2025.
A sign explains the rewilding process at the Batten mound, June 2025.
The rewilded Batten mound in June 2025.
The rewilded Batten mound in June 2025.
The rewilded Batten mound in June 2025.
The newly rewilded space after planting, taken April 10, 2023.
Wildflowers and greenery on the rewilded mound, taken September 12, 2023.
Fall leaves on the rewilded mound, taken November 15, 2023.
How We Lead
Harvard’s world-class faculty, researchers, and staff are prioritizing sustainability through important academic research and teaching, as well as projects and ventures that explore innovative sustainable solutions that can be piloted on our campus and scaled locally and globally to address climate action.
Presidential Committee on Sustainability (PCS): Co-Chaired by two faculty, Harvard’s Executive Vice President, and managed by the Harvard Office for Sustainability, the PCS continues to advise the President and the University’s leadership on sustainability vision, goals, strategy, and partnerships. With the Office for Sustainability, the Presidential Committee on Sustainability is leading the work toward reaching Harvard’s climate goals and tracking progress toward the objectives in Harvard’s University-wide Sustainability Action Plan. The PCS Faculty Co-Chairs are Jody Freeman (Archibald Cox Professor of Law at Harvard Law School and Founding Director of the Environmental and Energy Law Program) and Michael Toffel (Senator John Heinz Professor of Environmental Management at Harvard Business School and Faculty Chair of the Business and Environment Initiative).
Sustainability Management Council (SMC): The Office for Sustainability convenes senior operations, facilities, and administrative leaders across the campus to facilitate best practice sharing that enables the achievement of the University’s sustainability and climate goals.
Salata Institute for Climate and Sustainability: The centerpiece of Harvard’s climate- and sustainability-focused research, teaching, and engagement is the Salata Institute for Climate and Sustainability.
Confronting the global challenges of climate change and sustainability requires a response across disciplines and sectors. In addition to the work of the Salata Institute at Harvard, Harvard is partnering with other higher education institutions, government, non-profit organizations, and private businesses to identify solutions and shared opportunities that will lead to lasting change. Learn more about our partnerships with groups like the International Sustainable Campus Network (ISCN), Ivy+Sustainability Collaborative, Northeast Campus Sustainability Consortium (NECSC), The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE), and many more.
Harvard continues to update and share sustainability resources to help University partners become more sustainable. Guides and resources include the Sustainable Meeting and Event Guide, Sustainable Office Guide, updated Waste Signage, and more. Explore our sustainability resources at Harvard.
Harvard Leads on Sustainability
Harvard expanded its Green Revolving Fund (GRF) to provide additional funds in the form of interest-free loans to Harvard’s Schools and Business Units to accelerate campus decarbonization, moving the University closer toward its goal to be Fossil Fuel-Free by 2050 and meet city building emissions reduction regulations.
Harvard, together with members of the Consortium for Climate Solutions, won the EBC Nicholas Humber Award for Outstanding Collaboration from the Environmental Business Council (EBC) of New England. The Consortium demonstrated that collaboration amplifies climate action, enabling greater renewable energy investment than any single institution alone. Smaller organizations were able to invest in renewable energy by sharing resources and negotiating together, and municipal procurement barriers were eliminated, paving the way for other cities to engage in similar initiatives. It took several years for the Consortium to work through the financial and legal concerns to make sure this model would work. In doing so, the Consortium has dramatically lowered the bar for businesses, institutions and public entities to successfully decarbonize.
Harvard University Housing (HUH) received national recognition from Institute for Market Transformation (IMT) by receiving the Platinum Level Green Lease Leader 2025 Award. Platinum is the highest tier of recognition from the Green Lease Leaders, awarding ambitious building energy reduction goals with social impact goals and addressing health, resilience, reductions of Scope 3 emissions and embodied carbon, and more.
Harvard won the Green Restaurant Association (GRA) Greenest University Award in both 2024 and 2025. Harvard has 19 Certified Green Restaurants® that have collectively taken more than 1,000 environmental steps to earn over 4,200 GreenPoints™.
Research & Teaching at the Salata Institute
The Salata Institute for Climate and Sustainability is working to ensure that a Harvard education prepares students for leadership in a world facing climate change. Through programs and activities developed in coordination with Harvard’s schools, students have opportunities to contribute to climate solutions today, while learning valuable skills and developing professional connections for tomorrow.
The Climate Entrepreneurs Circle through Harvard i-Lab is a selective incubation program for high-potential ventures working to address climate change. The Climate Circle has 97 Harvard-led ventures incubated to date, which tackle a wide array of global challenges. Venture topics include decarbonizing real estate, building predictive agriculture with AI-powered gene expression technology, scaling solar energy technology, climate finance, and much more.
Managed by the Harvard Office for Sustainability, the Council of Sustainability Leaders (CSSL) provides an opportunity for Harvard students to work together with other students from across the University’s Schools on sustainability projects, to connect and network with sustainability leaders (including students, faculty, and administration), and to provide feedback and recommendations on Harvard’s climate, health, and sustainability initiatives.
Managed and funded by the Office for Sustainability (OFS), the Student Sustainability Grant program funds creative projects that contribute to Harvard’s commitment to climate and health that help create a more sustainable community. Since the Office for Sustainability founded the Student Sustainability Grant program in 2010, more than 100 projects have been awarded with seed funding to support new student-driven ideas and innovative projects that address global sustainability challenges with on-campus applications.
OFS-funded Student Grant projects in the 2024-2025 academic year include:
AlgaMatrix: The Future of Homes: AlgaMatrix is an interdisciplinary research project focused on integrating living microalgae into an inflated modular system to create an accessible, low-cost indoor bioreactor. This innovative air purifier system captures CO2 and other pollutants, enhancing the productivity of carbon sequestration while producing oxygen and other vital organic compounds. In addition to building a bioreactor prototype, the students hosted an exhibition at the Harvard Graduate School of Design that explored how algae, sensors, and responsive systems can shape more sustainable and adaptive domestic environments.
The Green AI Summit: This student organized two-day summit at Harvard and Boston University aimed at raising awareness on key topics such as climate change, clean energy technologies, AI’s environmental impact, and green investment.
Smart Waste: Designing Dynamic Waste Zones: This student-led initiative, endorsed by the Dean of the Harvard Graduate School of Design (GSD), focused on designing, building, implementing, and documenting the effectiveness of dynamic digital waste sorting signage at the GSD.
Managed by the OFS sustainability professional at the Harvard Business School (HBS), Student Sustainability Associate Program, founded in 2006, is the school’s peer-to-peer education program that promotes sustainable behavior on and off campus. An SSA is hired from each RC section to connect with their classmates on how key sustainability topics impact business. Nine student projects were completed, ranging in topics from organic menstrual product benefits to a student event planning sustainability scorecard.
Earth Month 2025
Managed by OFS and Common Spaces, Earth Month at Harvard includes a celebration at Science Center Plaza with tabling, Freecycle and recycling events, secure IT disposal, bike repairs, plant-based food trucks, and a Charles River Clean-Up hosted by the Harvard Kennedy School in collaboration with Harvard Office for Sustainability, Harvard Business School, and the Charles River Conservancy. View photos from 2025 Earth Month at Harvard:
Dailey Brannin, Recycling Services Supervisor, hosted a Recycling table at Harvard’s Earth Day event on Science Center Plaza on April 22, 2025.
Cambridge Chief Climate Officer Julie Wormser participated in Harvard’s Earth Day event at Science Center Plaza on April 22, 2025.
The Charles River Clean-Up event, held on April 17, 2025, allowed Harvard community members and friends to help remove trash along the Charles River and learn about the local watershed. Together volunteers removed 88 pounds of trash, microplastics, and debris.
A table shared information on Harvard’s zero waste strategies at Harvard’s Earth Day event at Science Center Plaza on April 22, 2025.
Visitors shop for free items at a Freecycle event held during Harvard’s Earth Day event on Science Center Plaza on April 22, 2025.
Harvard University IT (HUIT) offered secure data destruction services at Harvard’s Earth Day event at Science Center Plaza on April 22, 2025.
University groups tabled at the Harvard Earth Day event at Science Center Plaza on April 22, 2025.
Nemo offered free bike repairs at the Harvard Earth Day event at Science Center Plaza on April 22, 2025.
The Charles River Clean-Up event, held on April 17, 2025, allowed Harvard community members and friends to help remove trash along the Charles River and learn about the local watershed. Together volunteers removed 88 pounds of trash, microplastics, and debris.
Visitors shop for free items at a Freecycle event held during Harvard’s Earth Day event on Science Center Plaza on April 22, 2025.
The Harvard Office for Sustainability team hosts a table at the University’s Earth Day event on April 22, 2025.
The Charles River Clean-Up event, held on April 17, 2025, allowed Harvard community members and friends to help remove trash along the Charles River and learn about the local watershed. Together volunteers removed 88 pounds of trash, microplastics, and debris.
The Charles River Clean-Up event, held on April 17, 2025, allowed Harvard community members and friends to help remove trash along the Charles River and learn about the local watershed. Together volunteers removed 88 pounds of trash, microplastics, and debris.
The Charles River Clean-Up event, held on April 17, 2025, allowed Harvard community members and friends to help remove trash along the Charles River and learn about the local watershed. Together volunteers removed 88 pounds of trash, microplastics, and debris.
About the Harvard Sustainability Report
The 2024-2025 Harvard Sustainability Report was produced by the Harvard Office for Sustainability (OFS) to update our community on the University’s progress toward meeting the goals, standards, and commitments as described in the University’s Sustainability Action Plan. Data is collected from individual Harvard Schools, Units and aggregated and analyzed by OFS.
