| Overall Rating | Silver |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 61.60 |
| Liaison | Megan Curtis-Murphy |
| Submission Date | Feb. 28, 2023 |
Northeastern University
PRE-2: Points of Distinction
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
N/A |
Megan
Curtis-Murphy Director of Campus Sustainability & Engagement Climate Justice & Sustainability Hub |
Name of the institution’s featured sustainability program, initiative, or accomplishment:
A brief description of the institution’s featured program, initiative, or accomplishment:
Northeastern is developing a Climate Justice Action Plan in partnership with neighboring environmental justice communities in Boston. This will update the University’s 2010 Climate Action Plan while aligning our strategies with the priorities and concerns of Boston’s frontline communities and the climate justice movement at large. The Hub is partnering with Alternatives for Community and Environment, a local grassroots environmental justice organization, and One Square World, a local community-centered planning and facilitation organization. Over the next two years, we’ll be working together to:
• Ensure that the climate justice process is accountable to community members most impacted by climate injustice in Boston
• Ensure that participants in the climate justice planning work have a foundational knowledge of structural oppression, environmental justice, and intersecting issues through anti-racism and environmental justice trainings.
• Identify climate justice priorities and concerns affecting the people most impacted by climate injustice in Boston
• Develop Vision, Goals, and Strategies for Northeastern’s Climate Justice work
• Ensure the final climate justice plan is accountable to community goals
Which of the following impact areas does the featured program, initiative, or accomplishment most closely relate to?:
Air & Climate
Coordination & Planning
Website URL where more information about the accomplishment may be found:
STARS credit in which the featured program, initiative, or accomplishment is reported (if applicable):
A photograph or document associated with the featured program, initiative, or accomplishment:
Name of a second highlighted sustainability program/initiative/accomplishment:
A brief description of the second program/initiative/accomplishment:
Northeastern University’s Boston campus has officially been recognized as a Level II Arboretum by ArbNet, a nonprofit dedicated to helping create and conserve arboreta around the world. Northeastern is now the only university in Boston to have an arboretum on its campus. The arboretum aligns with both City and Community priorities to increase tree canopy and combat urban heat island.
The Arboretum covers 11.5 acres of green space out of the 72 acre Boston campus, including over 1,400 individual trees representing over 100 different species. To be accredited, an arboretum needs to have a strategic plan, a governing board, public programming, and an inventory of every tree and woody plant on the grounds. Level II-accredited arboreta have additional criteria that the university has met including hosting 100 species, varieties or cultivars of trees or woody plants.
Having a robust canopy on campus is great but helping to reduce the heat island effect and create beauty in our neighboring communities is also important. Northeastern Arboretum co-op students are working with the community groups to get a 5.5 acre slice of greenspace in Mission Hill neighborhood also accredited as an arboretum. Along with having 25 different tree species, the students are helping to ensure organizational and volunteer oversight as well as a master plan outlining a maintenance strategy.
Which impact areas does the second program/initiative/accomplishment most closely relate to?:
Grounds
Website URL where more information about the second program/initiative/accomplishment may be found:
STARS credit in which the second program/initiative/accomplishment is reported (if applicable):
A photograph or document associated with the second program/initiative/accomplishment:
Name of a third highlighted program/initiative/accomplishment:
A brief description of the third program/initiative/accomplishment:
Northeastern University is embarking on a bold new future for powering and heating our Boston campus that is key to delivering our goals for decarbonization and resiliency.
The NU Energy Program has been supported by a multi-year planning process that will achieve carbon reductions and energy resiliency through building, operational, and infrastructure upgrades as well as new energy sources.
Our solar PV development program is in progress, and we have identified several locations that are suitable, with the first project to be installed in 2023. Aggressive energy use intensity and decarbonization targets are being developed for all buildings and as upgrades and renovations take place, these new targets will be applied to each project. A whole-campus LED retrofit was already completed in 2022 as a first step in the program. A key component of this project is to pilot a connection with Boston’s district steam energy utility to heat five buildings on campus by 2024. Northeastern has a central heating plant powered by natural gas that provides two-thirds of the heating for campus. Connecting to Boston’s district steam utility will significantly reduce our carbon emissions associated with steam production and includes the potential to provide zero carbon steam as renewable energy production increases in our regional electrical grid. Lastly, this project includes extensive upgrades to our electrical infrastructure to increase capacity and distribute electrical loads across buildings in case of emergencies. This increased capacity will enable NU to push for an electrification of thermal load and future energy storage.
As project details get finalized and installed, we are excited to share our progress and lessons learned with AASHE.
Which impact areas does the third program/initiative/accomplishment most closely relate to?:
Air & Climate
Buildings
Energy
Website URL where more information about the third program/initiative/accomplishment may be found:
STARS credit in which the third program/initiative/accomplishment is reported (if applicable):
A photograph or document associated with the third program/initiative/accomplishment:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.