Partnering with Urban Universities: the Cambridge Compact for a Sustainable Future

1. P R E S E N T E D A T
W O R L D S Y M P O S I U M O N S U S T A I N A B L E
D E V E L O P M E N T A T U N I V E R S I T I E S
M I T 2 0 1 6
B Y
S U S A N N E R A S M U S S E N
D I R E C T O R O F E N V I R O N M E N T A L A N D
T R A N S P O R T A T I O N P L A N N I N G
C I T Y O F C A M B R I D G E , M A , U S A
Partnering with Urban Universities:
The Cambridge Compact for a
Sustainable Future

2. Orientation to Cambridge
AREA
6.26 square miles, highly urbanized
POPULATION
Total Residents 105,100
College /Grad Students 35,800
DIVERSITY
Non-white 37%
Foreign Born 26%
AGE
Median age 30.2
Majority of residents are between
the ages of 20 and 44
EDUCATION
 76% of residents 25+ years have
Bachelor’s or higher degree
BUSINESS & JOBS
 Businesses 4,400
 Number of jobs 107,000
HOUSEHOLDS
 44,000 households
MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME
 Cambridge $70,800
U.S. $51,800

3. Impetus for Compact: City Perspective
 City focus on climate change since late 1990s, but
increasing concern about the global climate crisis
 Concern that regulation as the only tool to drive
action is insufficient
 Stakeholder engagement key to accelerating local
response to climate change
 Mayor Henrietta Davis convened the City, Harvard
and MIT to develop collaboration agreement

4. The Compact for a Sustainable Future
• Compact signed May 6, 2013 by the City, the presidents of Harvard and
MIT, and 8 large businesses. Membership is growing.
• Agreement prompted by increasing concern about the crisis of global
climate change and its many challenges.
• The Compact aims to generate new collaborative projects that harness the
community’s strengths in innovation, entrepreneurship, and partnership.
Photo credit: Rose Lincoln, Harvard Staff
Photographer

5. Current Membership
Founding Members:
 City of Cambridge
 Harvard University
 Massachusetts Institute of Technology
(MIT)
 Akamai Technologies
 Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc.
 Biogen
 BioMed Realty
 Boston Properties, Inc.
 Cambridge Innovation Center
 Cambridge Redevelopment Authority
 Camp, Dresser & McKee (CDM)
 Draper Laboratory
 Eversource Energy
 Forest City Commercial Group
 Genzyme, a Sanofi Company
 Google
 Homeowners Rehab, Inc.
 Novartis
 [t]Twining Properties
 Whole Foods

6. Keys Areas of Collaboration
 Building Energy Efficiency
 Climate Change Mitigation and Preparedness Planning
 Renewable Energy Systems
 Sustainable Transportation
 Waste Management (recycling, composting and waste
reduction)
 Water Management
 Urban Natural Resources
 Public Information and Education
 Green Tech Incubation and Promotion

7. Activities to Date
 Governance and Funding:
 Signatory and Resource membership categories
 Board, Steering and Program Committees
 Resource plan: Member dues and City part-time coordinator
 Working Groups:
 Building Energy
 Information sharing
 Key stakeholder input on Building Energy Use Disclosure Ordinance
and Net Zero Action Plan
 Climate Change Resiliency and Preparedness Planning
 Information sharing
 Newly completed 3-year work plan

8. EDUCATION • Provide a training opportunity on greenhouse gas inventories and management.
• Create opportunities to learn more about climate change resiliency and
preparedness planning.
• Provide opportunities to learn more about building energy reduction strategies.
• Discuss sustainable transportation trends in Cambridge and challenges faced by
Compact members.
RESEARCH • Investigate renewable energy purchase and storage to identify possible pilot
opportunities.
PILOTS • Assess feasibility of a net zero labs by 2030 goal.
• Jointly strategize about business continuity in the face of climate change and extreme
weather events.
RESPOND
& ADVOCATE
• Take advantage of opportunities to jointly discuss and advocate for shared interests
and new initiatives.
3-Year Work Plan Structure

9. Looking at Year 1
Research PilotsEducation
Responsiveness
& Advocacy
Organize events
on:
• Climate change
resiliency and
adaptation.
• Building energy
reduction.
• Sustainable
transportation.
• Gather
information
about
members’
renewable
energy
purchases and
interests.
• Exploring ways
to engage
research at
Harvard and
MIT.
• Convene lab
working group
to explore net
zero lab
feasibility.
• Ongoing and
dependent on
opportunities,
e.g. the need
for transit
expansion to
support
sustainable
growth.

10. Research – Renewable Energy
City of Cambridge
Compile members’ renewable energy procurement
interests and experience.
Harvard
Identify an undergraduate class to work on
renewable energy or battery storage research and
explore graduate level research opportunities.
MIT
Explore strategies and practices to connect our
research needs with student/faculty research
projects, classes, and activities.
• Share renewable energy interests in
experience.
• Serve as a research advisor for student
research.
• Attend final research presentation.
Opportunities to Participate Existing Commitments

11. Take-Aways to Date
 Creating organizational and funding structure across
government, academic and business entities was
challenging and took (too much) time
 Work plan key to keeping member engaged
 Success in engaging all stakeholders in community-
based response to climate change, not only within
own jurisdiction
 Commitment to common goal setting and value
proposition in terms of outcomes to be demonstrated
over time

12. Thank You!
For more information:
Website: https://cambridgecompact.org/
Contact: srasmussen@cambridgema.gov
Photo credit: Rose Lincoln, Harvard Staff
Photographer