Tufts University
Summary
Tufts marked a milestone on its path to achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 when it announced today its participation in a project that reduces its Boston health sciences campus energy-related emissions by 40%.
The project is the Consortium for Climate Solutions, a group that includes Tufts and other Boston-based institutions, who together are pioneering a strategy for broadening access to large-scale renewable energy projects.
The university is focused on achieving net-zero carbon emissions on all its campuses no later than 2050, according to an expanded commitment by the Tufts Sustainability Council. Solar onsite at Tufts is also part of the equation, including both roof-mounted solar installations and, at Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, solar arrays. The addition of a solar VPPA allows Tufts to multiply its use of renewable energy without being constrained by the space limitations of its campuses.
Other investments in shrinking the university’s carbon footprint include the central energy plant‘s use of energy-efficient cogeneration technology, and Tufts’ commitment to the highest energy-efficiency standards in new construction and in modernizing older buildings.
Dano Weisbord, AG01, chief sustainability officer and executive director of campus planning, noted that Tufts’ support for large-scale renewable energy projects makes sense, given the global goal of net zero emissions by 2050 as set by the Paris Agreement.
“Tufts is pursuing strategies that promote global sustainable development,” said Weisbord. “The consortium is a model for using markets to purchase electricity from new zero-carbon sources. It is also a tool to educate and challenge our students to become climate leaders by helping to build and implement our path to decarbonization.”
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