Harvard’s greenhouse gas emissions have been essentially flat for nine years, and the university says it remains on track to reach net‑zero campus emissions by next year. That is according to the Harvard Sustainability 2024 report, published yesterday. The document credits expanded purchases of renewable electricity, operational changes and a renewed focus on lower‑carbon building materials, especially mass timber — including the Goel Center for Creativity and Performance and the Rubenstein Treehouse, which have allowed the campus to expand by 14% all the while reducing its carbon footprint by 40% over baseline.
The report emphasises the Consortium for Climate Solutions, a purchasing alliance with nearby research institutions and hospital systems, as a pivotal development. The consortium has supported large renewable projects that will add substantial clean power to the U.S. grid and, officials say, will allow Harvard to match 100 percent of its electricity use with renewables beginning in 2026. On campus, the university has increased its fleet of electric vehicles and launched pilots using artificial intelligence to cut food waste; university leaders cite those efforts as evidence that reductions are coming from both procurement and everyday operations.
Harvard also reports that emissions per square foot have fallen even as the campus has expanded, a metric the university presents as proof that growth and lower carbon intensity can coexist. The sustainability report focuses on campus operations, however, and that narrow scope has renewed calls from students and faculty for a fuller accounting of the university’s financed emissions. The Harvard Endowment’s annual climate report, originally expected months ago, has not been published, and advocates say its absence obscures how endowment investments align with the campus commitments outlined in the sustainability report.
Heather Henriksen, Harvard’s chief sustainability officer, wrote in the report that Harvard is “harnessing world‑renowned research and the thought leadership of our faculty and students to enhance climate, health, and community.” Jasmine N. Wynn ’27, a co‑founder of Harvard’s Sunrise Movement and a Crimson editorial editor, said she was “glad that they released it” while continuing to press for endowment transparency.
- For more information about Harvard’s plans to achieve net-zero, click here for Wood Central’s special feature.
