In this webinar from November 22, 2024, Historic New England joined GreenerU to discuss their climate action planning journey and what that means for historic preservation efforts at some of the nation’s oldest properties. They also shared how planning efforts have helped strengthen and prioritize their fundraising efforts.
Guest panelists included:
Joie Grandbois, Sustainability Coordinator, Historic New England
Ben Haavik, Property Care Team Leader, Historic New England
Katy Pomplun, Institutional Giving Officer for Preservation, Historic New England
A decades-old problem of siting and permitting clean energy infrastructure expeditiously—with consideration for natural, community, and environmental justice impacts—was solved through a stakeholder-engaged, consensus-driven process. Governor Maura Healey signed the 2024 Climate Law into effect on Wednesday, November 20, 2024, ushering in a major step in the state's clean energy transition.
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From nuclear engineering to climate communications to data analytics, GreenerU's set of 2024 summer interns bring a wealth of interests and perspectives to the team—and we can't wait for you to get to know them better.
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Whether reviewing, coordinating, or managing the entire process of submitting an inventory, GreenerU gets your institution to the STARS.
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Vibrant. Exhilarating. Complicated. Messy.
We're not talking about your love life. We’re talking about working in an institutional setting, where getting things done is no simple task. If you’re looking at launching a major initiative, an interdepartmental project, or moving forward with your climate action goals, you need to draw from a different toolkit than your job description outlines—you need to be persuasive.
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GreenerU strives to empower our clients in exploring pathways to lower greenhouse gas emissions and develop planet-healthy habits. But what do we do when no one is looking?
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GreenerU's Jennifer Haugh leans into the complex. Learn how she believes in the healing powers of stakeholder engagement—and how her background in art and music makes her the perfect fit to lead your climate action planning process.
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Passage of the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act created unprecedented opportunities and incentives for businesses, individuals, and institutions to invest in electrification, renewables, and efficiency measures—from electric vehicles to EV charging stations to solar PV and more. New with this legislation is the opportunity for nonprofit organizations to get a cash refund for the value of tax credits ordinarily out of their reach.
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Libraries are finding new and innovative ways to endure, structurally and purposefully, for future generations. This New England landmark is carving its path to a carbon-free future.
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Boston’s BERDO—the Building Energy Reduction and Disclosure Ordinance—was developed to help the city achieve its climate goals of all buildings reaching net zero emissions by 2050. Building owners need to reach significant reductions to meet five-year incremental goals or face fines.
But some building owners are finding BERDO requirements challenging to meet from a financial standpoint. How will building owners plan for updated standards as they become more stringent down the road? What is the best way to deal with deferred maintenance? What financing opportunities are available? What are the additional benefits that can help justify first costs?
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AASHE STARS inventorying, analysis, and submission is a lengthy and complex process—one that can be all-consuming for an institution. But one of the purposes of STARS is to provide a baseline of data to help your institution understand the next steps toward implementing sustainable solutions. Meghna Tare, chief sustainability officer at the University of Texas at Arlington, joined us in September 2022 to talk about how UTA took STARS reporting to the next level to make the data accessible and clear to campus stakeholders.
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A recent study published in the Lancet from a survey of 10,000 young people (ages 16-25) in ten countries, including the U.S., showed high levels of climate anxiety among respondents. K12 schools are responding with more sustainability curriculum, greenhouse gas emissions and other sustainability inventories, climate action planning, and energy-efficiency measures. Watch this insightful discussion with sustainability representatives from three schools that have taken different steps toward sustainability and climate change mitigation efforts at their campuses and find out how they got started.
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From time to time, GreenerU hosts webinars and workshops on topics ranging from climate neutrality and energy efficiency measures to climate action planning and facilitation. Watch this space for upcoming webinar topics featuring stories from your peers, lessons learned, and best practices in sustainability and climate change mitigation.
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Climate change mitigation, energy efficiency, decarbonization, construction project management—it all boils down to a simple formula: helping people.
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Isabella Stewart Gardner was famously precise in her vision and oversight of her museum’s creation. GreenerU is helping this masterpiece of an institution in meeting its sustainability goals—both in working toward climate neutrality and in operating the museum in perpetuity.
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An ongoing tradition at GreenerU is the "cocktail du quartier," shared with team trivia winners at company all-hands meetings. Below are some of our recent favorites.
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If the toughest of customers with the highest standards for vehicular reliability can find satisfaction in the latest incarnations of the electric vehicle, think of what lies in store for other EV types, and furthermore, the future of electric vehicles.
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Is your facility ready for the future of electric vehicles? Now is the perfect time to find out. Projects may be eligible for 100% of infrastructure upgrade costs through utility incentive programs—and GreenerU is here to help you navigate the whole process.
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One of the country’s most prestigious veterinary animal care facilities charts a path to modern plumbing—a challenge not unlike converting to low-temperature hot water systems. And all without missing a beat of regular operations. Here’s how they did it.
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We regretfully announce the passing of an Industrial-Age workhorse that has warmed many hearts, as well as the planet.
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A new requirement in 2022, third-party verification of buildings must be completed by a qualified energy professional. GreenerU is here to help you not only with verification, but with preparing your institutions, buildings, and facilities for a climate-neutral Boston.
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Participating utilities to offer incentives for heat pumps in the transition to electrification
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In Brookline, on the edge of Boston, the Dexter Park apartments are ideally situated for students, museum-goers, movie-lovers, and classical music aficionados. They are also an example of forward-thinking energy-efficiency measures.
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Deadline extended for the expenditure of remaining funds available through GreenerMass, a program offering capital for energy-efficiency projects requiring no up-front costs to institutions
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Understanding the ins and outs of financing major energy and sustainability projects is not everyone's strength. But getting more familiar with the different, sometimes creative ways you can help your institution figure out how to pay for efficiency and renewables could make a difference. This presentation was designed to help you develop more familiarity with the terms, the pros, the cons, and the contingencies to make conversations with your institution's CFO go more smoothly.
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With everything else competing for funding, bandwidth, and attention, how do you integrate climate neutrality efforts with other campus priorities?
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As institutional campuses are exploring ways to draw down greenhouse gas emissions, one of the largest sources of ongoing emissions is heat via fossil fuels. Many campuses use steam, a century-old technology that relies on coal, natural gas, or nuclear energy to heat water into steam that is piped through buildings through radiators. But technology has greatly advanced to the point of requiring nearly ambient-temperature water to heat our buildings. Moving toward climate neutral means moving away from these old technologies, specifically to electricity-powered systems that can be fueled by renewable sources.
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From college presidents to the U.S. President, there is a growing drumbeat from leadership nationwide to address the climate crisis. The general consensus is that the path to mitigating climate change is clear: achieving climate neutrality. This article is a look at the current state of climate neutrality efforts, challenges, and solutions on college campuses.
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Founded in 1763, the oldest continuously operating boarding school in New England continues to undertake steps to keep its campus operating efficiently. Thanks to GreenerMass, the burden of funding first costs for energy-efficiency projects is alleviated.
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What is leadership? You might think it’s your campus President—and you might be right. But campuses are more complicated than straightforward hierarchies, and there are tried-and-true ways to empower and engage supporters of climate mitigation that draw from best practices in grassroots advocacy and strategic communications.
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