Harvard Green Campus Initiative

The Harvard Green Campus Initiative is a university-wide collaborative effort between faculty, administrators, staff and students with the goals of reducing the environmental impacts of campus operations and promoting environmental sustainability. The Harvard Green Campus Initiative seeks to establish an integrated commitment throughout Harvard by becoming a "learning organization and living laboratory” in the pursuit of environmental sustainability. HGCI works to engage the community of Harvard University in gaining a deeper understanding of sustainability. Ultimately, HGCI wants to enable the community to institutionalize sustainable practices. HGCI hopes that this commitment to environmental decision-making will include: building design, construction and renovation, transportation, purchasing practices, facilities management and individual community member behavior. HGCI is working to provide incentives for community involvement as well as to remove institutional barriers to sustainability. Additionally HGCI is working to design an effective environmental education program.

A few of the projects that have resulted in part from the work of HGCI:

Due to the efforts of the HGCI, Harvard University shuttles and maintenance trucks are now running on biodiesel. Additionally, the School of Public Health has purchased Harvard's first renewable energy in the form of wind-generated power. HGCI also organized and hosted the Best Practices Exchange. The Best Practices Exchange brought together those involved in campus planning, building, and design and maintenance to share cost effective practices that conserve resources, improve efficiencies and reduce environmental impacts. It is collaborative efforts such as this that will succeed in making a positive environmental impact in the future. Students interested in a more efficient and environmentally sustainable Mount Holyoke should consider networking with HGCI as they could be a valuable resource.