CORRECTION APPENDED

Receiving another nod for its environmental friendliness, Harvard recently placed second in the Sierra Club’s ranking of the top 10 environmentally aware universities.

The Sierra Club commended the University for its eco-friendly projects and initiatives, as well as for having the most buildings certified through the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System.

Harvard has over 20 buildings that conform to LEED’s energy-saving design standards, according to a May 2007 Harvard Gazette article.

Additionally, Harvard was named as one of six College Sustainability Leaders nation-wide by the Sustainable Endowments Institute.

Meredith M. Lanoue ’08, a former member of the Resource Efficiency Program (REP)—one of several student groups under the Harvard Green Campus Initiative, described the news as “wonderful” and “not surprising.”

“Harvard has always been at the forefront of environmentalism, and this just reinforces that we really have our act together,” she said.

The Harvard Green Campus Initiative, a professional student-run organization founded in 2000, has been important to Harvard’s success in environmental sustainability. Its Green Campus Loan Fund dedicates $12 million to interest-free loans allocated to projects that reduce the school’s environmental impact. [SEE CORRECTION BELOW]

In 2006, the HGCI spent $5,500 on converting a recycling truck into a vegetable oil-fueled vehicle. The leftover oil comes from Annenberg dining hall and powers the truck’s cross-campus treks transporting clothing, scrap metal, and other donations to Harvard’s Habitat for Humanity.

Despite Harvard’s progress in sustainability and the Sierra Club’s recognition, environmentalists at Harvard say they aren’t ready to rest on their laurels.

“We have made great strides in the last couple of years, but there is always more that can and should be done,” REP Co-Captain Hayley J. Fink ’08 said.

CORRECTION

Due to an editing error, the Oct. 29, 2007 news article "Harvard Places High on Green List" incorrectly stated that the Harvard Green Campus Initiative is a student-run organization. In fact, it is part of University Operations Services, and includes students, faculty, and other staff.