Sustainability & Environment

New faculty appointed to Harvard Chan School’s Department of Environmental Health are studying how a variety of environmental factors—including an individual’s total environmental exposures to toxins over the course of their life, the microbes in engineered water systems, and climate-related extreme weather events—can impact health.

Harvard has hired eight new climate faculty—with more to come—across the University and across disciplines.

Through research originating at the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering and Harvard Medical School, an international team has discovered a novel strain of cyanobacteria—nicknamed “Chonkus”—that could help sequester carbon from oceans and factories. 

Three Wyss Institute projects aim to reduce global pollution by developing a cheaper, more reliable test to detect toxic per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS); creating a non-toxic alternative to PFAS inspired by the surface of lotus leaves; and using an enzyme found in soil to break down PET plastic and turn it into a biodegradable material that can be used to make new, eco-friendly plastics.

The Climate and Sustainability Translational Fund—launched by Harvard’s Office of Technology Development and the Salata Institute for Climate and Sustainability—will fund four research projects focused on solutions to climate challenges.

During the inaugural Harvard Amazon Rainforest Immersion, a 10-day teaching and research intensive organized by the David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies Brazil Office and the Salata Institute for Climate and Sustainability, students and academics from Harvard and local institutions explored the region’s intricate ecosystems and threats to its environment, economic security, and public health.

The Consortium for Climate Solutions will leverage its members’ collective purchasing power to advance cost-effective renewable energy projects.

Rising nearly as high as the surrounding buildings and featuring more than 1,400 native plants, Polinature—a temporary garden installation at the Harvard Graduate School of Design—demonstrates a low-cost, low-tech, off-the-grid solution to provide cooling relief to urban areas from acute summer heat. 

The Salata Institute for Climate and Sustainability announced a fourth round of seed grant awards for work on understudied and emerging topics in climate and sustainability. The projects include research into upcycling dairy waste, the role of autoworkers in the EV transition, measuring the effectiveness of climate adaptation strategies, and more.

The 2023-2024 Harvard Sustainability Report details how the University is leveraging its research and thought leadership to accelerate action toward a healthy, sustainable, fossil fuel-free future.