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P R E S E N T E D ATWORLD SYMPOSIUM ON SUSTAINABLE
DEVELOPMENT AT UNIVERSITIESMIT 2016
B YSUSANNE RASMUSSEN
DIRECTOR OF ENVIRONMENTAL AND TRANSPORTATION PLANNING
CITY OF CAMBRIDGE, MA, USA
Partnering with Urban Universities:The Cambridge Compact for a
Sustainable Future
Orientation to Cambridge
AREA6.26 square miles, highly urbanized
POPULATIONTotal Residents 105,100College /Grad Students 35,800
DIVERSITYNon-white 37%Foreign Born 26%
AGEMedian age 30.2Majority of residents are between
the ages of 20 and 44
EDUCATION 76% of residents 25+ years
have Bachelor’s or higher degree
BUSINESS & JOBS Businesses 4,400 Number of jobs 107,000
HOUSEHOLDS 44,000 households
MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME Cambridge $70,800
U.S. $51,800
Impetus for Compact: City Perspective
City focus on climate change since late 1990s, but increasing concern about the global climate crisis
Concern that regulation as the only tool to drive action is insufficient
Stakeholder engagement key to accelerating local response to climate change
Mayor Henrietta Davis convened the City, Harvard and MIT to develop collaboration agreement
The Compact for a Sustainable Future
• Compact signed May 6, 2013 by the City, the presidents of Harvard and MIT, and 8 large businesses. Membership is growing.
• Agreement prompted by increasing concern about the crisis of global climate change and its many challenges.
• The Compact aims to generate new collaborative projects that harness the community’s strengths in innovation, entrepreneurship, and partnership.
Photo credit: Rose Lincoln, Harvard Staff Photographer
Current MembershipFounding Members:
City of Cambridge Harvard University Massachusetts Institute of
Technology (MIT)
Akamai Technologies Alexandria Real Estate Equities,
Inc. Biogen BioMed Realty Boston Properties, Inc. Cambridge Innovation Center Cambridge Redevelopment
Authority Camp, Dresser & McKee (CDM) Draper Laboratory Eversource Energy Forest City Commercial Group Genzyme, a Sanofi Company Google Homeowners Rehab, Inc. Novartis [t]Twining Properties Whole Foods
Keys Areas of Collaboration
Building Energy EfficiencyClimate Change Mitigation and Preparedness
Planning Renewable Energy SystemsSustainable Transportation Waste Management (recycling, composting and
waste reduction)Water ManagementUrban Natural ResourcesPublic Information and Education Green Tech Incubation and Promotion
Activities to Date
Governance and Funding: Signatory and Resource membership categories Board, Steering and Program Committees Resource plan: Member dues and City part-time coordinator
Working Groups: Building Energy
Information sharing Key stakeholder input on Building Energy Use Disclosure Ordinance and
Net Zero Action Plan Climate Change Resiliency and Preparedness Planning
Information sharing
Newly completed 3-year work plan
EDUCATION • Provide a training opportunity on greenhouse gas inventories and management.
• Create opportunities to learn more about climate change resiliency and preparedness planning.
• Provide opportunities to learn more about building energy reduction strategies.
• Discuss sustainable transportation trends in Cambridge and challenges faced by Compact members.
RESEARCH • Investigate renewable energy purchase and storage to identify possible pilot opportunities.
PILOTS • Assess feasibility of a net zero labs by 2030 goal.• Jointly strategize about business continuity in the face of climate change and extreme
weather events.
RESPOND& ADVOCATE
• Take advantage of opportunities to jointly discuss and advocate for shared interests and new initiatives.
3-Year Work Plan Structure
Looking at Year 1
Research PilotsEducation Responsiveness & Advocacy
Organize events on:
• Climate change resiliency and adaptation.
• Building energy reduction.
• Sustainable transportation.
• Gather information about members’ renewable energy purchases and interests.
• Exploring ways to engage research at Harvard and MIT.
• Convene lab working group to explore net zero lab feasibility.
• Ongoing and dependent on opportunities, e.g. the need for transit expansion to support sustainable growth.
Research – Renewable Energy
City of CambridgeCompile members’ renewable energy procurement interests and experience.
HarvardIdentify an undergraduate class to work on renewable energy or battery storage research and explore graduate level research opportunities.
MITExplore strategies and practices to connect our research needs with student/faculty research projects, classes, and activities.
• Share renewable energy interests in experience.
• Serve as a research advisor for student research.
• Attend final research presentation.
Opportunities to Participate Existing Commitments
Take-Aways to Date
Creating organizational and funding structure across government, academic and business entities was challenging and took (too much) time
Work plan key to keeping member engagedSuccess in engaging all stakeholders in community-based response to climate change, not only within own jurisdiction
Commitment to common goal setting and value proposition in terms of outcomes to be demonstrated over time
Thank You!
For more information:Website: https://cambridgecompact.org/Contact: [email protected]
Photo credit: Rose Lincoln, Harvard Staff Photographer
