Cambridge recognizes Harvard with its Go Green Award

Harvard University has been awarded a GoGreen business award by the city of Cambridge during the city’s annual May celebration that promotes environmental action and awareness.

Harvard’s Green Campus Initiative won an Energy Award, which is given for efforts including energy conservation, energy efficient purchasing, and green power purchasing.

“The GoGreen Awards recognize Cambridge businesses for their efforts to preserve the environment and quality of life in Cambridge,” said Cambridge City Manager Robert W. Healy. “Many of our businesses are active in promoting and implementing environmental programs, and we want to make sure that their efforts are appreciated and applauded.”

Harvard Green Campus Initiative Director Leith Sharp said the award was possible only through the hard work of many members of the Harvard community directed toward energy conservation and a shift away from fossil fuels.

“This award recognizes the enormous amount of effort that literally hundreds of staff and students at Harvard have made, working with the Harvard Green Campus Initiative, to drive our energy consumption down and to shift our dependence towards renewable, nonpolluting energy sources,” Sharp said. “I am very grateful that the city has acknowledged our efforts.”

The Green Campus Initiative started in 2000 as a University-wide collaborative effort between faculty, administrators, staff, and students to reduce Harvard’s environmental impact and to promote environmental sustainability. The initiative sponsors environmentally friendly projects across campus through an interest-free loan fund, internships, and a variety of other efforts.

Harvard was among seven Cambridge businesses that received GoGreen awards. Other award categories included recycling, won by Whole Foods Market and Hines, and transportation, won by ADD Inc. and Arup. Genzyme and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology also won awards.