Three ways to celebrate Earth Week this year
Join us in celebrating the world we live in, and be inspired to protect our planet by caring for the environment, yourself, and others!
Attend an event
Global Days of Service
April, 2021
#BUDaysOfService brings together alumni and friends to help make an impact in our community. We have over 30 different volunteering sites. Among them, you’ll find opportunities to make cards and blankets for hospitalized kids, locations to donate unused items, pen pal organizations, and much more. Check out the service projects offered and see how you can get involved today.
Inspiration from Sweden in Corporate Sustainability Leadership
April 21, 2021 | 10 to 11 AM ET
Sustainability leadership experts Elaine Weidman-Grunewald (GRS’95) and Henrik Henriksson, CEO of Scania Group, share how Swedish companies might inspire the next generation of emerging executives to embrace sustainable practices in their organizations. Register here.
How We Talk About the Climate Crisis
April 21, 2021 | 3 to 4 PM ET
What role can scientists, advocates, and journalists play in crafting more persuasive communications to address the climate crisis? Join COM for a panel discussion with Jesse Gallum (COM’01), The Nature Conservancy, Jacqueline Patterson (Wheelock’90), NAACP Environmental and Climate Justice Program, and Elaine Zuckoff (COM’18), climate change reporter for WCAI; moderated by Sarah Finnie Robinson.
Sustainability Industry Networking Night
May 5, 2021 | 5:30 to 6:30 PM ET
Look ahead and join us for our third digital networking night with BU alumni working in Sustainability, or those who have an affinity for the industry.
Read up on BU’s latest initiatives
Combating climate change requires bold initiatives to create more eco-friendly communities. To protect our planet, the university’s Climate Action Plan sets a goal to be carbon neutral by 2040. Collaboration between faculty, staff, and students are helping to achieve this goal.
Reducing greenhouse gas emissions
One of the future goals of the University is to match 100% of its electricity needs with renewable resources. With the completion of BU Wind in December 2020, BU reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by 53%. The wind farm is located in South Dakota, but its location has two to three times of bigger impact than if it were located in New England.
Building greener buildings
Construction is happening daily on Commonwealth Avenue as the new Center for Computing and Data Science prepares to open in 2022. The building has been designed for climate resistance and is a key example of future carbon-footprint-free buildings. Instead of using fossil fuels, energy for the building will be provided by using the thermal mass of the Earth as a source for heat exchange. The Center will be the largest fossil-free building in Greater Boston.
Combating food waste
BU is on track to meet its goal of being zero waste by 2030. This means diverting at least 90% of its non-hazardous waste from landfills or incineration to reuse or recycling. To encourage students to be more aware of their personal impact “Weigh the Waste” events are held in dining halls. During the event, foods headed for disposal are collected and weighed to calculate the average weight per student. This helps the University discover commonly wasted foods and reasons for waste, and implement more sustainable practices moving forward.
Transitioning to electric vehicles
BU is a member of the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy & Environmental Affairs and the Department of Environmental Protection’s MassEVolves Program, which supports the transition to zero-emission vehicles for operations, employees, and communities. Electric vehicle charging stations continue to be installed on campus and the University recently finished conducting a pilot study of forty different electric vehicles. An expanded version of this program will launch in the fiscal year 2022.
Generating innovations of the future
The Climate Action Lab, which opened in Spring 2020, promotes innovation and collaboration for students and faculty to combat climate change. Student-faculty teams submit their ideas for research projects to make Boston University’s campus and operations more sustainable. Accepted proposals receive funding for initiatives that support the implementation of the University’s Climate Action Plan.
Support Sustainability@BU
Your support allows the University to continue to tackle increasingly complex and innovative projects. By supporting the Sustainability Annual Fund, alumni and friends have the opportunity to contribute to long-term projects dedicated to reducing the University’s footprint, allowing BU to be more environmentally and fiscally sustainable.