Due to extensive efforts addressing climate change and sustainability, Boston University announced Wednesday that they achieved their 2020 goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 25 percent, six years early.
“The only way to achieve a goal like this early is through a community effort,” said Dennis Carlberg, sustainability director at Sustainability@BU. “When we were at 21 percent reduction last year, we were confident we’d meet the goal early. Reducing greenhouse gas emissions is critical if we hope to live in a world with a climate, land and ocean familiar to us.”
Carlberg said BU has reduced energy consumption and converted to cleaner building fuels, which promotes a more eco-friendly environment on campus.
In recognition of this achievement, BU is selling some of its 2012 carbon reductions through the Chevrolet Campus Clean Energy Campaign, according to a Wednesday press release from the Chevrolet Carbon-Reduction Initiative.
“BU is selling some of its 2012 carbon reductions through the Chevrolet Campus Clean Energy Campaign,” he said. “Chevrolet will purchase the University’s carbon credits and permanently retire them, furthering the company’s voluntary effort to retire carbon reductions across America for the benefit of the climate.”
For National Campus Sustainability Day, Sustainability@BU set up two large chalkboards in the George Sherman Union Link Wednesday afternoon and invited students to write down energy saving tips in colored chalk. Student representatives from Sustainability@BU took participants’ pictures and tweeted them.
Greenovate Boston, a city-sponsored sustainability organization, shares similar goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 25 percent by 2020 and 80 percent by 2050 as part of Boston’s Climate Action Plan.
Charles Zhu, manager of Greenovate Boston, said BU has set a standard for other institutions to promote clean energy and increase their environmental awareness.
“We are incredibly excited about what BU has accomplished in terms of greenhouse gas reduction,” he said. “BU is paving the way for the rest of the city and the rest of the country.”
Nathan Phillips, a professor of environment and energy at BU, said BU’s steps toward cleaner energy have benefited communities beyond its campus.
“The energy infrastructure we’ve built out that has caused the carbon emissions and climate change risks are simultaneously an infrastructure that makes us more vulnerable to the impacts of climate change,” he said in an email. “Reducing emissions by conserving and moving to a clean, distributed energy economy both mitigates and adapts to the climate change problem at the same time. It’s a win-win-win.”
Through investments such as the Sustainable Revolving Loan Fund, BU can inspire colleges to follow its carbon reduction efforts, Phillips said.
The Loan Fund is used to finance projects with high impact and short economic payback in areas such as energy conservation, waste management and sustainable construction and operation, according to Sustainability@BU’s website.
Several students said they appreciate BU’s dedication to dealing with environmental issues.
“BU reducing its greenhouse gas emission is a great accomplishment because Boston University is huge. It’s impressive they were able to get everyone on board,” said Emily Dello Russo, a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences.
Anna Jortikka, a sophomore in CAS, said the school has done well in promoting clean energy and setting an example for other colleges.
“A lot of campuses should promote eco-friendly awareness because universities are a huge part of the country if we do it together,” she said.
Stephanie Strager, a junior in the School of Management, said establishing environmentally sound habits early on with college students is necessary to maintain future efforts.
“We are the next generation coming into the world,” she said. “Learning how to be eco-friendly impacts our future.”
Mina Corpuz contributed to the reporting of this article.
