Harvard endowment to go greenhouse gas-neutral by 2050
Harvard University announced today that, as part of its expanding efforts to address the urgent threat of climate change, its endowment will become greenhouse gas-neutral by 2050. The President and Fellows of Harvard College, also known as the Corporation, directed the Harvard Management Company (HMC) to set itself on a path to reach “net-zero” emissions by 2050, matching the timeline set by the Paris Agreement, an international compact to stem the rapid rise in global temperature. The pledge to go net zero is a first among U.S. endowments. “Climate change is a defining issue of our time,” said Harvard President Larry Bacow. “Harvard is confronting this challenge in our teaching, our research, and through ambitious sustainability efforts on our own campus. “With this commitment, our focus is on reducing the demand for fossil fuels, an action that is consistent with the University’s overall commitment to reduce our operational carbon footprint,” said Bacow. “It...