At Boston University, our work focuses on ways to take the next steps and face the world’s greatest challenges. BU’s sustainability efforts in 2024 focused on how we as a university can take the next step in climate action and have a positive impact in our community.
Read the 2024 Annual Report to learn how Boston University is making a positive impact for climate action.
Our team at BU Sustainability is grateful for your interest in our programming and climate action efforts. I am pleased to share our 2024 Annual Report. We continue to make important strides to achieve the goals set forth in the Climate Action and Zero Waste Plans. Read on for highlights from this past year.
Dennis Carlberg, AIA, LEED AP BD+C
Since its inception in 2009, Boston University has run one of the nation’s largest move-out donation and recycling programs, “Goodwill, Not Landfill.” In 2024, the program expanded in large part to a team of students who helped make move-out more sustainable, while also benefiting the local community.
Topics include: Goodwill, Not Landfill Operations Assistance Team, Program Expansion, Non-Perishable Food, Collaborative Effort
Boston University is taking critical steps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions with the goal of net zero direct emissions by 2040. As part of the Climate Action Plan, BU is bringing on zero-emission vehicles, improving building systems, and finding new ways to get around campus.
Topics include: Zero Emission Vehicles, Energy Efficiency Projects, Electric Bikes
From food packaging to moving logistics to cleaning, Boston University is consistently looking for ways to reduce waste on campus and make the campus a healthier place for our community and the environment. These efforts and more are part of the University’s plan to reach Zero Waste by 2030.
Topics include: Cardboard Recycling, Choose to Reuse, Green Seal Certification
Learning and research are at the core of what makes BU one of the strongest research universities in the world. BU’s students, faculty, and staff are working together to learn and conduct impactful research on climate change and its impacts on the world around us.
Topics include: Janetos Climate Action Prize, Campus Climate Lab, Sustainable Curriculum, BU SPARK!
Boston University's climate action and sustainability leadership could not exist without collaborative partnerships. By working with athletics, the arts, operations, staff and faculty liaisons, student organizations, and many others, BU Sustainability continues to work collaboratively to engage our community.
Topics include: Zero Waste Hockey, Sustainability Festival, Earth Day 365, Liaisons, Seed Grants, Environmental Leadership Network, Resident Sustainability Leaders, Operations Climate Action Committee, Queer Ecology Series, College to Climate Symposium
BU continues to be a partner with the community in sharing best practices on climate action and how to work collaboratively in our collective decarbonization efforts. This ranges from showcasing Boston's largest fossil fuel-free building to working with organizations, businesses, and higher education peers to decarbonize our region.
Topics include: The Duan Family Center for Computing & Data Sciences, Commonwealth Climate Coalition, Green Ribbon Commission
By the end of the 2024 fiscal year, Boston University was more than 65% of the way toward its goal of achieving net-zero direct emissions by 2040. This milestone reflects years of sustained effort, driven by key initiatives and programs, including BU Wind, BU Solar, the Duan Family Center for Computing & Data Sciences, and numerous energy efficiency projects.
With buildings accounting for 98% of the University’s remaining emissions, BU is turning its attention to building decarbonization – reducing the emissions associated with operating buildings. At the beginning of 2025, a newly convened working group comprised of sustainability, operations, engineering, and finance professionals, along with faculty, and students is actively developing strategies to help us reach the goals set forth in the Climate Action Plan. Once initial recommendations are developed, the community will have the opportunity to weigh in, helping to shape the next phase of climate action at BU.
To learn more about these efforts and how BU is working towards building decarbonization, click the link below.
You can't manage what you can't measure. To help BU reach the goals within the Climate Action Plan, BU Sustainability maintains and tracks various metrics to analyze progress toward decarbonization, zero waste, and campus engagement. See our progress over the past year.
Topics Include: CO2 Emissions, Resource Use, Waste Generation, Green Buildings, Transportation, Sustainable Purchasing