This document summarizes the work of Harvard University's Office for Sustainability. It outlines the office's vision to build an inclusive community that contributes to intergenerational well-being. The office's mission is to advance solutions to global challenges through research, education, and empowering stakeholders. It does this work through campus initiatives, partnerships, and translating research into practice. The office has helped reduce Harvard's emissions and energy use while growing campus size.

1. David Havelick, Sustainability Manager
david_havelick@harvard.edu
Harvard University Office for Sustainability

2. Office for Sustainability
VISION
We strive to build an inclusive community that contributes to the
inter-generational well-being of people and the planet.
MISSION
To advance solutions to evolving global health and environmental
challenges that benefit the common good by translating research
into practice and empowering people to be stewards for the future.
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3. • bringing students, faculty, and staff together to use our campus and
community as a testbed for innovative solutions.
• creating transformational opportunities for students to develop as
engaged citizens and leaders for the future.
• driving organizational change by identifying barriers and challenges, and
working together to solve them.
• partnering with other institutions and our neighboring communities to
accelerate necessary change globally.
We do this by…
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5. Translating research into practice for a healthier, more
sustainable environment and community

6. HARVARD

8. Building on past progress (2006–2016)
– 30% reduction in absolute emissions
– 10% reduction in energy use
+ 12% growth in square footage
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9. How Harvard met its greenhouse gas reduction goal
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11. “Health is the human face of climate change”
Michelle Williams, ScD
Dean, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
As a University, we will continue helping to create a better understanding
of these impacts through multi-disciplinary research and exploration.

12. 1. Green Building Standards
2. Sustainable IT Standards
3. Sustainable Healthful Food Standards
4. Sustainable Healthier Cleaning Standards
5. Landscaping Standards
6. Supply Chain Standards
University-wide standards prioritize health

13. 1. Healthier Building Materials Academy
Reduce chemical classes of concern in buildings
2. CogFX
Evaluating the impact of green buildings on cognitive function
3. Sensors for Health
Monitoring and then identifying opportunities to improve wellness in buildings along 9 dimensions
4. Circadian Lighting
Align building lighting with the biological cycles our bodies follow each day
Living Lab Priorities for Building Health
Pilot. Prove It. Scale It.

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Data transparency ensures accountability and
provides resources for students
https://green.harvard.edu/sustainability-data-hub

15. Collaboration
Coursework
Policy
Research
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16. • Launched in 2016
• Multidisciplinary teams of faculty,
students and staff
• Projects must use the campus or local
community as a testbed for new
sustainability technologies and strategies
• Pilot projects aim to have a practical
application that can scale up
• 12 projects funded so far
green.harvard.edu/CSIF
Campus Sustainability Innovation Fund
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17. “It adds a special level of
satisfaction to the long hours of
lab work, when the resulting
discovery is translated to a real-
life campus setting, as enabled
by the Campus Sustainability
Innovation Fund.”
- Professor Daniel Nocera
Faculty are using the campus as a testbed
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18. Collaboration
Research
Coursework
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Policy

19. Office for Sustainability
Heather
Henriksen
David Havelick
Committee Chairs
Walter Willett
ChanSPH, HMS
Ari Bernstein
ChanSPH
Emily Broad
Leib
HLS
Eric Rimm
ChanSPH
Elsie
Sunderland
ChanSPH, SEAS
Jose Alvarez
HBS
David
Ludwig
HMS,
Children’s
Gary
Adamkiewicz
ChanSPH
Rob Paarlberg
HKS
Multidisciplinary Faculty Food Standards Committee
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Grounded in the latest science (Jan 2019)
EAT-Lancet Commission on Food, Planet, Health. Willett, et al. January 2019.

21. Climate Impact of food
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22. Nutrition – grounded in science
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23. Plant-forward future
Walter Willett, MD, DrPH
Professor, of Epidemiology and Nutrition
Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
“The transformation to healthy diets by 2050
will require substantial dietary shifts. Global
consumption of fruits, vegetables, nuts and
legumes will have to double, and consumption
of foods such as red meat and sugar will have
to be reduced by more than 50%.
A diet rich in plant-based foods and with fewer
animal source foods confers both improved
health and environmental benefits.”

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Mission of the Harvard’s food standards
• PROVIDE a more healthful and sustainable food supply.
• ALIGN Harvard’s food providers around a shared vision and common set of
evidence-based food-related principles and aspirations.
• QUANTIFY the environmental & health impacts of the food supply.
• DRIVE changes in the marketplace through partnerships and by leveraging
purchasing power.
• ENHANCE food literacy among the Harvard Community, and beyond.

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Harvard’s Sustainable Healthful Food Standards
Climate and
Ecosystems
Consumer
Well-being
Education
and Food
Literacy
Reduction of
Wasted Food
Welfare of
Animals
Well-being of
workers and
communities

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Co-creating resources with students and faculty

27. Collaboration
Research
Coursework
Policy
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Collaboration

28. Regional Partnerships
Founding member and Vice-chair,
Cambridge Compact for a
Sustainable Future
Chair, Higher Education
Working Group
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29. @GreenHarvard
#GreenHarvard
Connect
Learn more
Sustainability Plan
www.green.harvard.edu/plan
Sustainability Report
www.green.harvard.edu/report
Climate action plan
www.green.harvard.edu/climate
Living lab
www.green.harvard.edu/livinglab
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