Harvard Kennedy School of Government

HKS’s Sustainability Commitment

The Kennedy School’s commitment to sustainability began with an active grassroots effort and is now institutionalized with a School-specific Sustainability Plan that was adapted from the University’s Sustainability Plan. The Harvard Kennedy School’s sustainability strategy is grounded in scholarship and community engagement, integrating research, teaching, governance, and culture. HKS seeks to cultivate impactful programs and pilot new strategies for the University with a focus on climate, health, and equity.

HKS is committed to incorporating sustainability throughout its operations and policies. Projects include generating renewable energy and reducing energy and fossil fuel use, with a special focus on Scope 3 emissions reduction including transportation and air travel, sustainable events and reducing food waste, and reducing our plastic footprint.

Sample of HKS Project Activities:

430 MWh

The 61.2 k solar system installed on the rooftops of HKS buildings has 153 panels. As of spring 2023, they generated more than 430 MWh, equivalent to avoiding nearly 705,00 pounds of avoided emissions.

2+ tons recycled

HKS launched Harvard’s first plastic bag recycling program, which is now diverting more than two tons of plastic waste across Harvard every year from our waste streams to be recycled into new products.

100s of pounds of food shared

HKS hosts the Food Chain, a food waste diversion program open to anyone in the Kennedy School community to be notified after events are over to share leftover food, reduce food waste, and reduce food insecurity inside our community.

• HKS has a 61.2 k solar system installed on the rooftops of the Ofer Building, the Rubenstein Building, and the Wexner Building to generate renewable energy on campus. As of May 2023, the system’s 153 panels have generated more than 430 MWh, equivalent to avoiding nearly 705,00 pounds of avoided emissions.
• HKS launched Harvard’s first plastic bag recycling program, which is now diverting more than two tons of plastic waste across Harvard every year from our waste streams to be recycled into new products.
• HKS hosts the Food Chain, a food waste diversion program open to anyone in the Kennedy School community to be notified after events are over to share leftover food, reduce food waste, and reduce food insecurity inside our community. The program shares out hundreds of pounds of food each year among community members that would otherwise go into our compost waste streams. Kennedy School members can sign up here.
• The Sustainability Leadership Council has been working to reduce flight-related emissions generated from our faculty, student, and staff air travel by helping people fly less, fly better, and offset what cannot be avoided. Learn more! 

The HKS Sustainability Leadership Council

The Sustainability Leadership Council (SLC) is appointed by the Dean of the Harvard Kennedy School as a senior leadership body tasked with making strategic recommendations to the Dean to prioritize and fund the HKS Sustainability Plan and to drive the sustainability agenda forward on HKS campus in coordination with Harvard University and the Office for Sustainability.

The role of the SLC is to:

• Explore living laboratory connections that could integrate the real-world challenges of sustainability into the Kennedy School experience and use the campus and the local community to pilot innovative research and projects
• Share knowledge, experience, and feedback on strategies and projects and how they may interact and influence many aspects of campus operations and life,
• Regularly review the HKS Sustainability Plan and recommend strategic updates,
• Monitor and guide the implementation of the Sustainability Plan and supporting alignment between the HKS Sustainability Plan and University Sustainability Goals,
• Recommend specific projects and budget requests to the Dean,
• Facilitate coordination of sustainability groups, activities, and events at HKS, including the Green Team and SEEPIC, thereby fostering strong awareness and engagement.

Co-Chairs:

• Linda Bilmes, Daniel Patrick Moynihan Senior Lecturer in Public Policy
• Arthi Kasetty, Chief of Campus Planning and Operations

Faculty:

• Joe Aldy, Professor of the Practice of Public Policy
• Akash Deep, Senior Lecturer in Public Policy
• Meghan O’Sullivan, Kirkpatrick Professor of the Practice of International Affair
• Kathryn Sikkink, Ryan Family Professor of Human Rights Policy
• Rand Wentworth, Louis Bacon Senior Fellow in Environmental Leadership

Staff:

• Pam Cozza, Chief Human Resources Officer
• Jane Finn-Foley, Associate Director, Student Services
• Emily Flynn Pesquera, Senior Sustainability Manager
• Fatema Sumar, Executive Director, Center for International Development
• Simone Worsdale, Director of Digital Strategy Management, Office of Communications and Public Affairs

Students:

• Grace Lam, MPP/MBA
• Teresa Chen, MPA
• Kanwal Sodhi, MPA-MC
• Andrew Wei, MPP
• Louis Guerin, MPP

Advisor:

• Bill Clark

Climate, Energy, and the Environment Professional Interest Council

The Climate, Energy, and Environment Professional Interest Council (CEEPIC) provides a focused community for Harvard Kennedy students to explore and engage with the complex challenges of the global climate crisis. Each semester, CEEPIC organizes a variety of events related to climate, energy, and the environment that bring students together with faculty, policymakers, and subject matter experts. 

CEEPIC also works in partnership with the Sustainability Leadership Council to identify opportunities to integrate conversations about climate, energy, and the environment as core parts of the HKS curricula and student experience.

CEEPIC events are open to HKS students and the wider Harvard community. Our members’ interests span many different policy domains, and we strive to ensure the diversity of perspectives, expertise, and lived experiences among our members is reflected in our programming.

2022-2023 Co-Chairs:

• Gray Bender, MPP
• Maya Vishwanath, MPP
• Aneesa Andrabi, MPP, Communications Director

Finance Officers:

• Mahabub Rahman
• Louis Guerin

Events Sub-Committee:

• Richa Chaturvedi
• William Jensen Diaz
• Roman Gaus
• Karan Takhar
• Karina Val, Entrepreneurship Director
• Leonie Schoeller

Curriculum Liasons

• Tine Hertz
• Rushabh Sanghvi
• Alibek Nurbekov, MC/MPA Representative