Sustainability Task Force Issues Challenge

The Task Force on Greenhouse Gas Emissions, created early in 2008 to recommend steps for building a more sustainable Harvard, issued its recommendation in June to Harvard President Drew Faust: By 2016, Harvard should reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent below its 2006 levels.

The task force was co-chaired by Bill Clark, professor of international science, public policy and human development at Harvard Kennedy School and Tom Vautin, associate vice president for facilities and environmental services. The 21-member committee included several members of the Kennedy School community, including John Holdren, professor of environmental policy; Craig Altemose MPP 2010; and Heather Henriksen MPA 2008, who was recently appointed director of Harvard’s new Office for Sustainability.

The goal was announced at the university’s kick-off celebration of the sustainability initiative. At the October celebration, which drew a crowd of more than 15,000, Faust noted that universities “have a special role and a special responsibility in confronting the challenges of climate change and sustainability.”

In February, Faust formed the task force and asked the group to develop an appropriate University-wide greenhouse gas emissions reduction goal and a strategy and timeline for achieving that goal. The task force recommendation to reduce Harvard's carbon emissions by 30 percent below 2006 levels by 2016 includes both planned and future growth taking place in Cambridge and on Allston and Longwood campuses in Boston.

“As a community,” said Faust at the celebration, “we must confront the highly ambitious challenge the task force has set before us in order to show that it is possible to reverse rising levels of carbon emissions by changing the choices we make about the way we live. We at Harvard must be a model — as we demonstrate our commitment to the future, as we affirm our belief that the discoveries of science can enable us to change the world, as we unite the knowledge and the passion of this community in service of broad and essential goals.”

Keynote speaker and former Vice-President and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Al Gore praised the University for its commitment to reducing carbon emissions. “I’m proud,” he said, “to be part of the greater University family as an alumnus because of what you are doing here.”