The Sustainability Journey...Loss of habitat / extinction. Consequences of Global Warming Spread of tropical diseases More severe weather More drought and wildfire. minimum prediction:

Leith Sharp, Harvard UniversityVisiting Scholar, Harvard School of Public Health

Faculty, Harvard Extension School

International Speaker and Consultant, Strategic Campus Sustainability

[email protected]

The Sustainability

Journey

Lessons from Harvard University

We have removed our senses further and further from the natural world but we have not developed the cognitive capacity to internally represent its existence. So as we have left our sensual connection to the natural world, as individuals, communities and society – we have no internal map or external web of relationships feeding back the effects of our choices.

ENORMOUS PROBLEMS

Earth Systems

Ecosystems and Species

Extinction &toxicity

Climate systems Disturbance

Atmospheric systems Ozone depletion,

pollution

Oceanic systems Disturbance to sea

levels, temperatures and currents, sea life

depletion

Geological and Soil systems

Desertification, land pollution, mineral & resource depletion,

depletion of soil quality, toxicity

Hydrological systems Water pollution &

scarcity

Nutrient systems Disturbance of

nutrient flows, toxicity

Copyright Leith Sharp 2010

Global mean temperatures are rising faster with timeWarmest 14 years:1998,2005,2003,2002,2004,2006,2001,2007,1997,2008,1995,1999,1990,2000

IPCC

There’s a consistent 50-year upward trend in every region except Oceania.

Major floods are up on every continent

Major floods per decade, 1950-2000

1992

2002

2005

Greenland Ice Melt

Consequences of Global Warming

Rise in sea level

Disruption of agriculture

Loss of habitat / extinction

Consequences of Global Warming

Spread of tropical diseases

More severe weather

More drought and wildfire

http://geochange.er.usgs.gov/pub/carbon/ccalaska/fire.jpg

minimum prediction:

1 meterrise in sea-level30,000,000

people displaced

20%of the land will vanish

30%of the rice crop will disappear

McKinsey, USGHG, 2008

McKinsey, USGHG, 2008

ENORMOUS OPPORTUNITIES AND MANY GOOD IDEAS

Trends in U.S. Energy/Power Sectors

Net Primary Resource Consumption ~97 Quads

Source: US Dept. of Energy and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

Trends in U.S. Energy/Power Sectors

Net Primary Resource Consumption ~97 Quads

Source: US Dept. of Energy and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

Peer to Peer LearningHarvard’s Green Campus Initiative

A Business Model to Fund Green Collar Jobs

Cultural Change – Create The New Norm

Exercise

How much water could you save annually through showering?

Exercise

How much water could you save annually through showering?

Baseline Water Efficient

2.5 gpm showerhead 1.5 gpm showerhead

8 minute shower 5 minute shower

1 shower/day 1 shower every other day

Savings = 5931 gallons/year!

Renewable Energy

Photovoltaic

Big Belly Trash Compactors

Solar Thermal Collecting oil for Harvard Recycling truck

Ground Source Heat Pumps

Building Mounted Wind

Energy InfrastructuresCentral grid and on-site generation

BUT LIMITED PROGRESS

WHY IS IT SO HARD?

"We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking

we used when we created them.“

Albert Einstein

A conventional mechanistic approach to decision-making will seek to optimize components of a

systems without regard to resulting reductions in the performance of the overall system.

Systems thinking seeks to optimize the system, appreciating that a system can manifest

characteristics and capacities greater than the sum of its parts.

The Conventional Mechanistic World View: Penalizing Systems to Optimize Components

According to Fritjof Capra, systems thinking requires thinking in terms of

relationships, connectedness, and context.

An ecosystem is not just a collection of species, but is a community. Communities,

whether ecosystems or human systems, are made up of sets, or networks, of

relationships. In the systems view, the "objects" of study are the networks of

relationships (rather than the individuals).

Source: The Center for Ecoliteracy

Systems Thinking Addresses Relationships

Earth Systems

Infrastructure Systems

Organizational

Systems

Individual System


Extinction &toxicity

Climate systems Disturbance

Atmospheric systems Ozone depletion,

pollution

Oceanic systems Disturbance to sea

levels, temperatures and currents, sea life

depletion


Desertification, land pollution, mineral & resource depletion,

depletion of soil quality, toxicity

Hydrological systems Water pollution &

scarcity

Nutrient systems Disturbance of

nutrient flows, toxicity

Energy supply & distribution

Material supply & disposal

Food Supply

Water supply & disposal

Building construction

Building operations

Transportation

Landscaping

Mission

Leadership

Organizational Culture

Management Structure

Information Systems

Procurement systems

Decision Making Process

Finance & Accounting

Human resources

Planning Processes

Regulatory, Market,

& Community Context

Health

Mental Wellbeing

Spirituality/Meaning

Family

Social Connections

Status

Occupation

Financial security

Freedom/Opportunity

Leisure


Earth Systems



Self sustaining

Climate systems In balance

Atmospheric systems Self cleansing

Oceanic systems In balance


Self renewing, in balance

Hydrological systems Cleansing, self

renewing, in balance

Nutrient systems Self renewing, self

cleansing, in balance


Earth Systems


Organizational Systems


Self sustaining










?

What must this relationship be?


Earth Systems


Organizational Systems

Individual System


Self sustaining










?




HOW CAN RAPID PROGRESS BE MADE?

Opportunity in Higher Education

• 4,096 U.S. Colleges and Universities1

• 14.8 million students1

• $277 billion annual expenditures; 2.8% of the GDP1

• Higher education expenditures greater than the GDP of all but 25 countries in the world2

1 From: 2001 Digest of Education Statistics, US Dept. of Education.

2 From: 2001 CIA World Factbook and Dowling, Mike., "Interactive Table of World Nations," available from http://www.mrdowling.com/800nations.html; Internet; updated Friday, June 29, 2001

University and College graduates will account for around 80%

of the world’s business, NGO and government leaders

Higher Education’s Profound Responsibility

Change Management for Sustainability

a

About Harvard

600+ Buildings, over 23 million sqft, new campus in development

Large Population: 2500 faculty, 12,000 staff, 20,000 degree & 15,000 non-degree students

Highly Decentralized

Complex infrastructure and organizational systems

Complex stakeholder environment

Mixture of out-sourcing and in-house campus operations

Politically charged

GHG emissions have grown by over 60% in the last 15 years

Harvard Green Campus Initiative: Organizational Chart

2000

Director, Leith Sharp

Co-Chair Assoc. VP, Facilities & Environmental Services Tom Vautin

Co-Chair Faculty, Harvard School of Public HealthProf. Jack Spengler

a

Harvard’s Green Campus Initiative

A Business Model to Fund Green Collar JobsHarvard’s Green Campus Initiative 2000-2008

You can be the Rudder on the Rudder

The Leverage Principle: Even the biggest ships can be turned by a small force if it is directed at the point of maximum effect.

Program Budget Total Number of Full Time Staff

Annual UniversitySavings

2000-1 $ 80,000 1 (me)

2001-2 $264,000 4 $400,000

2002-3 $648,000 8 $700,000

2003-4 $890,000 11 $1.5 million

2004-5 $857,000 11 $3 million

2005-6 $1,155,000 16 $5 million

2006-7 $1,700,000 19 $6+million

2007-8 $2,200,000 24+ $7+million



A Business Model for Funding Green Campus Staff

2007-2008

Harvard receives the highest national green campus ratings from:

The Sustainable Endowments Institute

The Princeton Review

Sierra Club

Grist

Simple Lighting Retrofit Project

• Location: student residence (~300 students)

• Proposed savings:

• Annual savings >$20,000• Payback <3 yrs

Process…

No progress for many years because no dedicated attention, money or time

Unknown Complexity in Decision Making

School

Fin Mgr (capital budget)Fin Mgr (operating budget)

Facility DirectorBuilding Manager (Superintendent)

House Master

House occupants (students)REP coordinator (student)

1My Staff


Facilities staff overstretched, need dedicated assistance to find new projects


Green Campus

Loan Fund

School



House Master


2 1My staff



No money in annual maintenance budget, loan fund provided

Vendor

Sales RepTechnician

School



House Master


2 1

3



Facility manager is overstretched, dedicated project management TIME needed

Green Campus

Loan FundMy staff

Vendor

Sales RepTechnician

School

Financial Manager (capital budget)Financial Manager (operating budget)


House Master


2 1

3

4



Green Campus

Loan FundMy staff

Senior finance management hesitates to give approval, needs convincing

Vendor

Sales RepTechnician

School



House Master


2 1

3

4

56



Green Campus

Loan FundMy staff

Building management must provide approval, needs convincing

Vendor

Sales RepTechnician

School



House Master


2 1

3

4

56


Green Campus

Loan FundMy staff

8

910

1112

7

House Master concerned re:AESTHETICS, needs lots of engagement & discussion


Full Process = 3 months of constant facilitation by Green Campus Staff

Vendor

Sales RepTechnician

School



House Master


Maintenance crew

Univ. Ops

12

3

4

5

67

8

910

1112

13

14


Green Campus

Loan FundMy staff

Concern regarding maintenance of new light bulbs, basic training needed


Full Process = 3 months of constant facilitation by Green Campus Staff

Vendor

Sales RepTechnician

School



House Master


Maintenance crew

Univ. Ops

12

3

4

5

67

8

910

1112

13

14

15

16

1718

19

20


Green Campus

Loan FundMy staff

Vendor PERFORMANCE inadequate, needed additional management Leg work to get final financial approval from loan fund advisory committee


Most believe that people are innately averse to change. A more useful assessment is that people have an aversion to instability

and are actually invigorated by change when it occurs with adequate stability.

Therefore, large scale transformation becomes possible when an

organization is able to master the art of maintaining the stability of the

organization, entity or process while engaging in the process of change.

The Art of Change

From Changing

Light Bulbs

To Changing Our

Organizations

To Changing Our

World

When We Pay Attention to Process, Even the Smallest Projects Lay the Groundwork for Larger Projects

Empowering The Workforce

The educational theorist Kent den Heyer proposes that we have a tendency to believe that it is through the

heroic efforts of individuals that real change occurs.

This assumption can lead to a feeling of helplessness on the part of many people confronting enormous issues

such as the global environmental imperative.

To assist with moving us beyond our paralysis, Heyer encourages us to learn from historical social change movements and to understand the innate complexity of social change, the diversity of change agency roles and the unpredictable and powerful interactions of a significant number of forces.

Heyer offers “a socially distributed interpretation of agency better suited to the modest zones of influence in which most people live.”Historical agency for Social Change: Something more than “Symbolic Empowermnet (2003)

TRUST

AuthorityTransaction

Three Types of Relationship

Models in Organizations

Reference: Professor Karen Stephenson, http://www.netform.com

The Importance of a Culture of Trust

Relationships provide a Powerful Force for Change

0 1

1 Year 9 2 Years 81 3 Years 729 4 Years 6,561 5 Years 59,049

If the average person can change the thinking of 3 people they have a relationship with over a period of 6 months and each of these people go on to do the same….

Drive Cycles of Innovation: Pilot and

Expand

Knowledge/Capacity

Reform Decision-Making Processes and Expand

Commitment

Pilot Innovation in Infrastructure

Engagement/Motivation

Harvard’s Green Campus Initiative 2000-2008

Ongoing Piloting & Expansion

Green Cleaning

Biodiesel in University Shuttles

Occupancy sensor driven temperature Setbacks

Photovoltaic

Solar ThermalCollecting oil for Harvard

Recycling truck

Ground Source Heat Pumps

Building Mounted Wind


Ongoing Piloting

Harvard Yard Soils Restoration Project

Kenny School of Government Rooftop Community Garden

Free Plug Timers Give Away

Harvard Green Labs Certification Program

Freecycling Events

Print Phone Books Cancelled


Ongoing Piloting

Local ProduceIn Dining Halls

Trial

Design Process

Building Project

Evaluation

Recommend Trial

Design Process

Building Project

Evaluation

Recommendations Trial

Design Process

Building Project

Evaluation

Recommend Trial

Design Process

Building Project

Evaluation

Recommendations

2002 2004 2005 2006



Ongoing Piloting and Expansion

http://www.greencampus.harvard.edu/hhpbr/cs1.html



Knowledge/Capacity

Reform Decision-Making Processes and Expand

Commitment

Pilot Innovation in Infrastructure

Engagement/Motivation



20072006

2001: HGCI initiates first 3 pilot green building projects

2004

21 GREEN Building Projects

5 Certified16 Registered

2005



16 GREEN building Projects




50+ GREEN Building Projects


2008-9



17 LEED Certified Projects, 40 LEED Registered Projects

46 Blackstone LEED Platinum Certified

University Operations Services

LEED Platinum, Highest energy performance of any Harvard LEED building, bioswale, energy efficient elevator, ground source heat pumps, environmentally preferred materials throughout etc

No Added Capital Cost. 40% More Energy Efficient Than Code.

Drive Capacity Building

The desire to change is thought to be largely motivated by the intrinsic desire to communicate with others and to have the acceptance of others. (Feldman, 1994. p13)

Feldman, D. (1994) Beyond Universals in Cognitive Development. Norwood, NJ: Ablex Publishing Corp.

Residential Green Living Programs

9,000+ students from the College, Harvard Business School, Harvard Law School, Kennedy School of Government

20 Students employed as green Reps to reduce the environmental impact of dorm life at Harvard.

Major focuses• Electricity, heating, & water efficiency• Reduce waste through re-use and recycling• Sustainable dining

Residential Green Living Programs

9,000+ students from the College, Harvard Business School, Harvard Law School, Kennedy School of Government

In the College Quantified savings are now well over

$400,000 per year.

Achievements of the green reps include:•13.8% reduction in electricity use• 4% reduction in fuel for heating • 33% reduction in food waste• 25% increase in recycling • $50,000 annual water savings• 60% reduction in move-out trash • $75,000/year raised for charity

Green Skillet CompetitionHarvard University Dining Services | Harvard Office for Sustainability

500+ Harvard dining staff competing for the illustrious

Green Skillet

• Electricity– Leverett leads: 31% reduction total = 4.5%

• Natural Gas– Cabot/Pfoho leads: 26% reduction total = 5%

• Sustainability Pledges– Quincy leads: 100% participation total = 52%

• Special Projects– Quincy leads: 10 special projects total = 37

2008-2009 Results To-date:

Peer to Peer Learning

Green Skillet Competition: 500 staff. The winning kitchen reduced electricity use by 23%

Residential Green Living Programs: 9000+ Harvard residents. 13+% electricity reduction, 30+% recycling increase. Over $300,000 p.a savings

Lab User Engagement: Fume hood competitions have generated over $400,000 in annual energy savings

Peer to Peer Training Programs: Staff training each other to save energy through better building management



Peer to Peer Programs

Green Office Program

Harvard Office For

Sustainability

Goal: build a pool of expertise on sustainable lab practices on campus, to optimize both resource conservation and research quality

Harvard Green Labs Certification (in development)

Change Behaviors

Occupant impacts on building

operations & environmental

impacts

According to the EPA Individuals can affect 32% of personal ghg emissions through electricity use, waste,

and transportation choices!

Peer to Peer LearningHarvard’s Green Campus Initiative


Cultural Change – Create The New Norm

Turning Harvard computers off or into a low power standby state for 1/2 of that time could save us:•$1.3 MILLION in utility bills•8.2 MILLION pounds of CO2 •That’s like taking 700 cars off the road!

The average office worker uses 10,000 pages of office paper / year. Double siding half the time would save 2,500 sheets, or 5 reams. Harvard-wide, this measure could save•60,000 reams of paper

If 50% of the Harvard community who own a printer (assuming 1 in 3) turned them off with a power strip when not in use, we would save approximately: •$100,000 in utility bills•.6 MILLION pounds of CO2 •That’s like taking 54 cars off the road!


Small Actions Really Add Up !!

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.newhomesource.com/Content/images/Tstat.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.newhomesource.com/newhomeguide/articles.aspx%3Farticle%3Dyorkthermostat%26se%3DBuilding%26nm%3DLet%2BYour%2BHome&h=284&w=300&sz=13&tbnid=ehjj5Qk9GzCI8M:&tbnh=105&tbnw=111&hl=en&start=43&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dthermostat%26start%3D40%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26sa%3DN

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.energystar.gov/ia/partners/manuf_res/marketing_res/images/COMPUTER_lg.gif&imgrefurl=http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm%3Fc%3Dmarketing_res.product_images&h=260&w=300&sz=17&tbnid=CSoleqMm3gdScM:&tbnh=96&tbnw=111&hl=en&start=3&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dcomputer%2Benergystar%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D

Great Resource:

“Fostering Sustainable Behavior”by Doug McKenzie-Mohr and William Smith

Community-Based Social Marketing

Social Sciences research shows

that INFORMATION alone is not always enough to

influence

BEHAVIOR

http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/0865714061/ref=sib_dp_pt/104-2866051-4545539

95% Non-conscious Behavior• Learned

• Hard-wired

5% Conscious Behavior

What Drives our Behavior?


We Must Work With Our Cognitive Tendencies

Tools of Behavior Change

1. Get Commitment• We want to be seen as consistent

• Alters self-perception

• Commit to small action = more likely to take large action

TIPS:• written • make it public • actively involve people• group commitments

TIPS:

• Close to the point of action

• Eye catching & noticeable

• Clear instructions

2. Use Prompts • Reminder to trigger behavior

• Not intended to change attitudes


Together, we will make a difference.

PLEASE TURN ME OFF

3. Use Social Norms

TIPS

• Visible to the community

• Personal, community-oriented

• Encourage positive behavior

• We want to be seen “doing the right thing”

• Strong social pressures to conform

• We are “hard-wired” to imitate social norms


TIPS: • Make it visible

• Consider non-monetary (recognition, competition)

• Closely pair the incentive and the behavior

4. Use Incentives• Motivation for action

• People like “free stuff”


2009 Gorilla Prize (Pounds recycled, through Week 6)

1 Rutgers University 1,043,0232 Harvard University 496,796 3 Stanford University 463,9434 University of Arizona 436,4705 U Michigan-Ann Arbor 384,325 6 U Minn-Twin Cities 377,821 7 U VA-Main Campus 359,880 8 U Florida 331,1459 U Kentucky 316,490 10 U Cal-San Diego 310,014 11 RIT 309,680 12 Yale University 294,732

EPA “WasteWise”-sponsored 10-week contest with 514 campuses participating in 2009. See <www.recyclemaniacs.org>

5. Make it Convenient• Overcome physical barriers


RECYCLINGSingleStream

Recycle It

Together

Recycle all papers, books, mail, magazines, cardboard, metal cans & foils, plastic and glass bottles, jars, cups & containers mixed together in the same bins, bags and barrels. No loose bags, no styrofoam, no tissues, no napkins, no trash.

Thanks for reducing, reusing and recycling! Please call Harvard FMO Recycling & Waste Services if you have any

questions at 617-495-3042

5. Make it Convenient

• Overcome physical barriers


• Use language that your audience understands

6. Persuasive Communication Strategies

Many fume hoods use the

same amount of energy as 3 ½

houses!*


• Make your message vivid to capture attention

• Frame your message by what is being lost, instead of saved

Pacific Gas and Electric assessors to

encourage weatherization:



http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.grace-collection.com/images/football.JPG&imgrefurl=http://www.grace-collection.com/sports-patterns.html&h=216&w=360&sz=48&hl=en&start=4&tbnid=8OKOrfNjNUe7aM:&tbnh=70&tbnw=117&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dfootball%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D

• Use simple, clear instructions



• Use personal contact & a credible source (expertise and/or trust)



• Provide Feedback



ENVR E-117 Spring 2006 | April 3 2006

• Make it easy to remember

• Tailor your message to your audience



Experience that has no emotional engagement are not likely to be effective in generating new mental representations.

Gardener, H. (1999) The Disciplined Mind: What All Students Should Understand. New

York: Simon & Schuster.


Fostering a Learning Culture

Resource Efficiency Program

Waste Audits

Mount Trashmore

Tree Huggers

REP Bulletin Boards

Green Cup

http://www.greencampus.harvard.edu/../greencup/index.php

The Shut the Sash Campaign

Our Goal: Encourage researchers to close the fume hood sash to reduce energy waste.

Medical School: Avg. sash opening dropped from 12 in. to 2.4 in

Chem. Dept: 27% reduction in CFM

Total: Saving $188,000 per year energy costs

Finance and Accounting

Source: www.dilbert.com

A green building commitment if introduced early and managed effectively, will result in a minimal additional cost to the project.

This addition will typically be less than 2% total project cost.

It is also possible that there may be no additional cost.

Significant operating savings, environmental and financial, can be expected as a result.

Cost of Green Building at Harvard

What can be said about the cost impact of not implementing Harvard’s new green building guidelines?

FY06 actual cost = $86,850,000

FY16 projected cost = $157,052,000

Projection is based on:

• Linear trendline from actual usage from FY1990 – 2006 showing usage increasing by 103,462 MMBTU per year if stays on same trend.

• Projected cost increases of about 3.5% per year (actual projected cost increases for FY08-12 are higher)

Source: UOS Utility Reports and Longwood Operations Departments

Capital Budget Managers

Maintenance Budget Managers

Utility Budget Managers

Human Resources Managers

Barriers:

1.No annual innovation funding

2.No efficiency funding in annual maintenance/operating budgets

3.No capital budget consideration of operating costs implications and opportunities

4.No commitment to capturing and reinvesting savings (costs avoided)


Why Have a Revolving Loan Fund for Your Campus?

Green Campus Loan Fund:

$12 million interest-free capital for conservation projects

Existing Buildings New Construction

Full capital cost covered

5 year payback maximum

Simple payback used

Cost delta funded

10 year payback maximum

Lifecycle costing used

$14.5+ million lent since 2001

180+ projects

27+% average return on investment



Transcend Financial and Accounting Barriers

Provide Financial Access to the Champions

Fostering Peer to Peer Exchange & Competition

What Makes the Green Campus Revolving Loan Fund Work?

Life Cycle CostingA method of project evaluation in which all costs arising from owning, operating, maintaining and ultimately disposing of a

project over an agreed period are accounted for and converted into today’s dollars.

In short, life cycle costing allows for the consideration of medium and long term cost implications of today’s decisions.

When can it be used?► New Construction► Major Renovations► Capital Projects► Routine Replacements or Upgrades► Day to day purchases that incur any ongoing costs


Reform Finance and Accounting Barriers



Reform Finance and Accounting Barriers

Finance & accounting processes must be reformed to:

1.Drive efficiency & optimization at the systems level.

2.Allow for savings to be captured and reinvested.

3.Provide champions with timely access to funds

4.Stimulate innovation & continuous improvement.

Creating Governance Mechanisms that Leverage

Different Kinds of Leadership and that Focus Upon

Establishing a Context for Engagement and

Collaboration

CONFIDENCE & CAPACITY•Evidence•Confidence•Business base for green projects

AUTHORITY•Legitimacy•Priority•Mood/culture•Goals

MANAGEMENT•Green building standards•Green purchasing contracts•Green training programs

Middle Management

Top Level Leadership

Grass RootsStudents, teachers, building managers, custodial staff, kitchen staff etc



Different Kinds of Leadership

CONFIDENCE & CAPACITY•Evidence•Confidence•Business base for green projects

AUTHORITY•Legitimacy•Priority•Mood/culture•Goals

MANAGEMENT•Green building standards•Green purchasing contracts•Green training programs

Middle Management

Top Level Leadership

Grass RootsStudents, teachers, building managers, custodial staff, kitchen staff etc



Governance Systems that Utilize the Leadership System



Fostering Individual Engagement, Commitment, Motivation

I am fully engaged in working on my part of the

solution in every way possible!

Stable experiences of innovation and success

Context of institutional commitment

Peer to peer interactions

Rewards, incentives and recognition

Removal of barriers and disincentives

Proper inclusion in decision-making processes

Ongoing training and opportunities to learn

Management support

Access to expertise

What gets individuals motivated, engaged and working at their full potential?

Formalize Sustainability Commitments, Accountability

and Reporting Cycles

Sustainability Commitment

Harvard University is committed to continuous improvement in:• Demonstrating institutional practices that promote sustainability.

• Promoting health, productivity and safety through building design & campus planning.

• Enhancing the health of campus ecosystems & increasing the diversity of native species.

• Developing planning tools to support triple bottom line decision-making.

• Encouraging environmental inquiry and institutional learning throughout the University.• Establishing indicators for sustainability for monitoring & continuous improvement.

Harvard Campus-Wide Sustainability Principles

Harvard’s Green Campus Initiative 2000-2008 Foster Institutional Commitment



Foster Institutional Commitment

Green Building Guidelines

Sustainable Design Guidelines for New Campus Development

GHG Reduction Goal: 30% below 2006 by 2016, Climate Neutrality End Goal

Campus-wide Sustainability Principles

The Journey Towards Sustainability Means Coming into a Dynamic

Relationship with Our Living World and that Requires Us to Get Good at

Change

In The Necessary Revolution: Senge et al

‘There is nothing magic about seeing larger systems in order to

encourage strategic choices; the magic come from people actually

doing it, and truly learning how to think together in the process.’

Systems Thinking and Change Agency





‘In a world shaped by organizations and networks of organizations, individual systems thinkers are, ultimately, of little significance….The systems intelligence needed to deal with the challenges we face as the Industrial age comes to an end is collective and must be built through working together at many levels, within and beyond organizations, in teams and networks that span industries, communities and global supply chains.’






‘In a world shaped by organizations and networks of organizations, individual systems thinkers are, ultimately, of little significance….The systems intelligence needed to deal with the challenges we face as the Industrial age comes to an end is collective and must be built through working together at many levels, within and beyond organizations, in teams and networks that span industries, communities and global supply chains.’

But collaborations often fail – not enough time invested, not enough trust, too much conflict avoidance, not enough shared vision. Building the capacity to collaborate is hard work and needs to be valued and seen as such.


Leith Sharp, Harvard UniversityVisiting Scholar, Harvard School of Public Health

Faculty, Harvard Extension School

International Speaker and Consultant, Strategic Campus Sustainability

[email protected]

The Sustainability

Journey

Lessons from Harvard University

Documents

The Sustainability Journey...Loss of habitat / extinction. Consequences of Global Warming Spread of tropical diseases More severe weather More drought and wildfire. minimum prediction: