Sustainability & Environment

Researchers from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health have found evidence suggesting that long-term exposure to air pollution could increase the risk of several cancers in older adults, even at relatively low pollution levels that are below current U.S. and international safety standards.

More than four billion tons of carpet are thrown away every year in the United States. Third-year students at the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences analyzed existing state legislation and devised community awareness programs to promote carpet recycling

The Salata Institute for Climate and Sustainability and Harvard Global Health Institute announced the appointment of two Burke Climate and Health Fellows who will launch studies focused on urgent issues at the nexus of climate change and health.

Philanthropic supporters are crucial partners in propelling a broad range of interdisciplinary work across Harvard to achieve meaningful progress in addressing all aspects of the climate crisis.

In the face of pervasive wildfire smoke and chronic air pollution, Harvard Graduate School of Design associate professor Holly Samuelson MDes ’09, DDes ’13 is focused on strategies architects can use to design efficient, ventilated buildings that ensure the safety and quality of indoor air while also lowering carbon emissions.

The Harvard Innovation Labs catches up with two recent winners of the President’s Innovation Challenge Ingenuity Award, which celebrates high-potential ideas and funds early-stage ventures, and two members of the 2023 Harvard Climate Entrepreneur’s Circle, a selective incubation program for high-potential ventures working to address climate change.

In 2023, the Harvard Climate Internship Program supported 41 graduate students from the Harvard Graduate School of Design, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard Divinity School, Harvard Business School, Harvard Law School, and Harvard Kennedy School.  

More precise than other methane-sensing satellites that came before, MethaneSAT will allow scientists to track emissions to their sources and provide key data for reduction efforts.

Ashley Nunes, a senior research associate at Harvard Law School’s Center for Labor and a Just Economy, explains the Biden administration’s policies on EVs, what it’s getting right and wrong, and changes he says could lead to an even greater reduction in overall emissions.

Through his Our Common Nature initiative, renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma AB ’76, MusD ’91 is using musical collaborations in outdoor spaces to strengthen our relationship with the environment.