Harvard Nabs 50th LEED Certification

Harvard announced its 50th LEED certification last week, giving the University the highest number of certified green buildings of any college in the world.

The push to have buildings meet standards set forth by the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program is part of Harvard's broader sustainability efforts.

“As a University, we have a special responsibility to confront the challenges of climate change, not only through academic research but by transforming the way we operate our campus,” University President Drew G. Faust said in a statement.

In the past few weeks, three more LEED certifications have come through, bringing Harvard’s LEED-certified building projects to 53, encompassing 1.5 million square feet of space across campus. In addition, the University has 39 other projects pending certification.

In 2008, Faust committed Harvard to a 30 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2016.

Now consistently ranked as one of the most environmentally aware schools in the country, Harvard is on track to meet its ambitious greenhouse gas reduction goal, said Colin B. Durrant, manager of sustainability communications.

“The key are green building projects that make buildings more efficient, reduce energy, and create healthier places to live, work, and learn,” Durrant said. “The other key is making the energy supply more efficient. Harvard’s utility services have worked on this. The third piece of the pie is the work that students, faculty, and staff do with individual activities.”

LEED-certified builidings span Harvard's campus, from the chapel at Harvard Business School to the Mather-Dunster kitchen.

—Staff writer Leanna B. Ehrlich can be reached at lehrlich@college.harvard.edu.