Northeastern University considers energy conservation and energy efficiency the most transparent and cost-effective manner for moving towards carbon neutrality in the near term. The projects outlined in the Climate Action Plan (CAP) will work in conjunction with new federal and state climate regulations to reduce carbon emissions on campus and move the university toward carbon neutrality. On an ongoing basis or as the academic mission of the university dictates, the university will reassess remaining projects, climate neutrality targets and goals in order to establish a date for climate neutrality as soon as practicable.

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A list of action items have been identified to achieve the short-term goal of a 20% reduction per gross square foot (gsf) in CO2e output by 2015 using 2005 as our baseline. The items range from educational outreach to mechanical system upgrades. The action items can be found in the Climate Action Plan (CAP).

Our intent is to offer a rich variety of sustainability programming to meet the interests of our students rather than to implement a specific sustainability requirement. Sustainability programming is already in place in many units and we anticipate that it will increase as we hire additional faculty with sustainability-based research interests.

Northeastern Research in Sustainability

Sustainability constitutes one of the three major research areas targeted by Northeastern. Some examples of current sustainability research are summarized below.

Sustainable Water Resources

Water systems are often stressed by humans and in the urban environment the interaction between water and human systems is intense and associated problems acute and severe. The water environment is impacted by historical legacy (i.e. Superfund), contemporary (present wastewater discharges) and future (terrorist attacks, global warming) activities and events. Critical problems include adequate source, treatment and delivery of potable drinking water; treatment, disposal and reuse of wastewater; the sustainable management and restoration of natural surface and groundwater resources, and the sediment based ecosystem. Contaminants of emerging concern (e.g., endocrine disrupting compounds, nanoparticles, and PPCPs) and novel technologies (e.g. molecular tools, nanotechnology, cyber-infrastructure) cut across these problem areas.

Energy Innovation

The Northeastern University Center for Renewable Energy Technology (NUCRET) conducts research on renewable energy alternatives and aims to be at the frontier of science and technology of clean energy conversion and storage. NUCRETs efforts includes materials science, advanced in situ spectroscopy, micro-fabrication methods and manufacturing technology. NUCRET Professor Sanjeev Mukerjee and Eugene Smotkin of the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology are working on highly efficient, ultra-small fuel cells.

Industrial Sustainability

In the NSF-funded Center for high-rate Nanomanufacturing, Mechanical and Industrial Engineering Professor Jacqueline Isaacs leads a Research Thrust area on Societal Implications of Nanotechnology that has a significant component of sustainability, in terms of using Life Cycle Assessment tools to result in sustainable nanomanufacturing.

Urban Sustainability and Economic Development

Law, Policy & Society Professor Joan Fitzgerald carries out research on "Emerald Cities," dealing with how cities around the world are using sustainable green technology both to reduce their carbon footprint and to boost their economic development.

Community Outreach and Climate Change

Northeastern University is represented on the City of Boston’s Climate Action Leadership Committee by Stephanie Pollack, Associate Director of Northeastern’s Kitty and Michael Dukakis Center for Urban and Regional Policy. The Committee was formed in March 2009 by Boston’s Mayor Thomas M. Menino . The Boston Climate Action Leadership Committee, a 22-member group representing Boston’s diverse local communities, is charged with charting Boston’s collective response to climate change.

Community Education

During October 2009, Northeastern held its first Campus Sustainability Week. Eleven events were offered in five days and presented significant educational opportunities to faculty, staff, students, and in some cases, the public. Key themes throughout the week included climate change, reduction of carbon emissions, and energy, as well as green chemistry/toxics reduction, food/agricultural production, green business, and art. The Art and Sustainability exhibit included nearly 60 artistic expressions of climate change, sustainability, and the human impacts from environmental destruction.

Co-op/Community Service

Northeastern is one of the most prominent universities nationwide that integrates Co-operative and Experiential Learning into its educational process. Historically, Northeastern has emphasized experiential and service learning since it was founded. Northeastern is actively developing definitions of, and parameters for “Green Co-ops” and other Sustainability-based Experiential Learning opportunities that are offered to students through various departments and programs. In October, 2009, Northeastern’s Career Services held a “Green Careers” workshop for students to discuss different ways to enter environmentally oriented and “green” jobs.