To the members of the MIT community,
After 40 years in Massachusetts, I know the shift from winter to spring is governed by a dial, not a switch – and that dial can go backwards. Today on Killian Court, the grass is working up the courage to turn green. But we all know that it’s too early to stow our snow boots.
The shift from a long season governed by Covid to something better will feel this way too: not a switch, but a dial, and a dial that may at times go backwards. Maintaining movement in the right direction will require every one of us to sustain the care, carefulness, new routines and vigilant protocols of this past year.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Sustainability DataPool, powered by the Office of Sustainability (MITOS), gives the MIT community the opportunity to understand data on important sustainability metrics like energy, water use, emissions, and recycling rates. While most visualizations share data from past events, the newest dashboard – the MIT Climate Resiliency Dashboard (MIT certificate required to view) – looks to potential future events in the form of flooding on campus. The dashboard is an essential planning tool for ongoing work to build a climate-resilient MIT, one that fulfills its mission in the face of impacts of climate change. It’s also a tool that highlights the importance of collaboration in devising sustainability solutions.
Caption: The renovation of Buildings E38 and E39 (both now grouped as E38) in Kendall Square brings new graduate student housing (Building E37) to the area as well as a lively innovation center, mixed-use retail, and a new home for MIT Admissions. Credits: Photo: John Horner Caption: The TCC Kendall child-care facility at the graduate student residence tower (E37) in the heart of Kendall Square includes a playground. Credits: Photo: John Horner Caption: The graduate student residence tower (E37) in the heart of Kendall Square provides 454 apartments, including 2-bedroom and 1-bedroom units that are prioritized for families with children as well as efficiencies for single students.
Previous image
Next image
In 2015, MIT set a goal to reduce its annual greenhouse gas emissions by a minimum of 32 percent by the year 2030. Five years later, the Institute has reduced emissions by 24 percent, remaining on track to meet its goal over the next several years.
These most recent reduction data mark a 6 percent decrease nearly 11,000 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions (MTCO
2e) from fiscal year 2019 to fiscal year 2020. This year-over-year reduction was driven in part by gains in building-level energy efficiency investments, operational efficiency of the Central Utilities Plant (CUP), a reduction in carbon intensity of the electricity purchased from the New England power grid, a less-intense heating season, and a temporary de-densification of campus due to Covid-19 resulting in lower energy demand.