Sustainability
Cambridge Officials Celebrate Start of $77 Million Fire Station Renovations
Top Cambridge officials celebrated the start of long-delayed renovations on the Cambridge Fire Department Headquarters at a Tuesday groundbreaking ceremony at the 491 Broadway Street construction site.
Harvard’s Greenhouse Gas Emissions Increased by 2.3 Percentage Points in 2023
Harvard’s net greenhouse gas emissions increased by 2.3 percentage points from 2022 even as it’s on track to meet its goal of becoming fossil fuel-neutral by 2026, per the University’s annual sustainability report.
Harvard Public Health School Appoints Mary Rice as New Director of C-CHANGE
The Harvard School of Public Health appointed Mary B. Rice, a pulmonary and critical care physician and associate professor at Harvard Medical School, as the next director of its Center for Climate, Health, and the Global Environment. She will lead C-CHANGE starting Oct. 1.
Cambridge Hires Julie Wormser as Inaugural Chief Climate Officer
The City of Cambridge has hired longtime climate policy advocate Julie E. Wormser as its inaugural chief climate officer. She will head the city’s Office of Sustainability starting Oct. 1.
Temporary Vertical Garden ‘Polinature’ Opens at GSD
A vertical garden at the Harvard Graduate School of Design opened to the public last Tuesday as an example of how immediate, low-cost solutions can mitigate extreme heat for vulnerable populations.
Harvard Public Health School Launches New Climate Change and Planetary Health Concentration
The Harvard School of Public Health rolled out a new concentration this fall titled “Climate Change and Planetary Health,” exploring the effect of climate change on the planetary health crisis.
Debra Haaland Touts Biden Climate Agenda, Celebrates HLS Grads in Class Day Speech
U.S. Secretary of the Interior Debra A. Haaland addressed Harvard Law School’s Class of 2024 during the school’s Class Day ceremony on Holmes Field Wednesday afternoon
Youth Action Group Led by Harvard Undergrad Sues Maine for Failure to Meet Climate Goals
The Maine Youth Action — a political action organization co-founded by Cole A. Cochrane ’27 — alongside the Conservation Law Foundation and Sierra Club sued the Maine Department of Environmental Protection and the Maine Board of Environmental Protection on Friday for a failure to meet its pledged climate goals.
Adams House Announces Climate Funding Program for Student Projects
Adams House, one of Harvard’s twelve upperclassmen houses, launched Adams Works on Climate earlier this month — a two-year program to fund climate projects led by Adams residents.
New HES Sustainability, Global Development Degrees Director Hopes to Strengthen Programs
The Harvard Extension School appointed Michael J. Mortimer to lead the school’s Sustainability and Global Development Practice master’s degree programs earlier this year, as he seeks to fill gaps and refine the program curriculum.
Harvard Affiliates Testify Against Oil Drilling on California Harvard-Owned Land
The Santa Barbara County Planning Commission voted to approve an exploratory oil drilling project on former Harvard land holdings in California on Jan. 31, following testimony on environmental repercussions.
Cambridge City Council Maps Agenda For Term, Announces New Role for Climate Sustainability
The Cambridge City Council convened a special meeting Tuesday with city officials to set term priorities and announce the creation of a new position focused on climate resilience.
More than 30 Harvard Students and Faculty Attended COP28, Expressing Optimism on Climate Initiatives
More than 30 Harvard students and faculty traveled to Dubai to attend COP28, the annual United Nations Climate Change Conference, last month.
Harvard Salata Institute Funds Seven Student Climate Research Projects
Harvard’s Salata Institute for Climate and Sustainability announced the third round of awards for student-led projects last week, funding seven projects that include input from a total of 20 student organizations across the University.
Bezos Earth Fund Executive Leon Clarke Discusses Decarbonization, Climate Policy at Harvard Kennedy School
Leon Clarke, the director of decarbonization pathways at the Bezos Earth Fund, spoke about decarbonization and philanthropy at the Harvard Kennedy School on Monday.
Harvard Business School Students Put Forth Sustainability Solutions at Annual Climate Symposium
The Harvard Business School’s annual student-run Climate Symposium drew more than 500 attendees to Klarman Hall and raised more than $100,000 over Nov. 18 and 19.
Experts Discuss Adapting to Climate Change and Sustainability at Salata Institute Discussion
Cornell applied economics professor Prabhu L. Pingali and Nigerian Conservation Foundation director Joseph D. Onoja discussed climate sustainability at the Center for Government and International Studies Tuesday.
Harvard’s Greenhouse Gas Emissions Flatline for Seventh Straight Year in 2022
Harvard’s campus net greenhouse gas emissions continued to flatline for the seventh straight year in 2022, as the University experienced its first full year of normal functioning since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.
In Photos: Planting a Yard-Sized Urban Forest
More than three dozen Cambridge residents gathered Saturday morning to plant Cambridge’s first ever residential Miyawaki garden. Volunteers planted more than 40 species of plants native to New England in a single front yard to guard against biodiversity loss.
Stanford Woods Institute Director Discusses Western Wildfire Risks and Impacts at Harvard Forest Talk
Chris B. Field ’75, the director of the Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment, discussed changes in wildfire risk on the West Coast at a Friday lecture.
Harvard Salata Institute Funds 14 New Climate Research Projects Through Seed Grant Program
Harvard’s Salata Institute for Climate and Sustainability announced the first cohort of awards for its Seed Grant Program last week, funding 14 interdisciplinary climate projects across the University.
Harvard’s Updated Sustainability Plan Garners Optimistic Responses from Student Climate Activists
Harvard’s renewed sustainability action plan drew largely positive feedback from student climate organization leaders, who commended the plan’s holistic approach while hoping the University follows through on its goals.
Harvard Salata Institute Launches Interdisciplinary Research Cluster to Lower Methane Emissions
Harvard’s Salata Institute for Climate and Sustainability launched a major initiative in July to lower global methane emissions as part of its Climate Research Clusters Program.
Harvard Law Professor Jody Freeman Resigns from ConocoPhillips Board
Harvard Law School professor and environmental law expert Jody L. Freeman resigned from the board of directors of oil and natural gas company ConocoPhillips on Thursday after Harvard affiliates and climate activists condemned her ties to the company.
Cambridge City Council Passes Green New Deal Policy Limiting Emissions from Large Buildings
The Cambridge City Council passed the final component of the Green New Deal for Cambridge Monday, concluding a yearslong effort to enact a package of environmental policies long championed by progressive legislators and activists in the city.