MIT sees 7 percent reduction in campus greenhouse gas emissions
The Institute, which sees its campus as something of a test bed for climate action, announced in a release that greenhouse gas emissions on campus have dropped by 7 percent since 2014.
The announcement marks a milestone along a path that MIT hopes will lead to a 32 percent reduction by 2030 and carbon neutrality “as soon as possible.”
The greenhouse gas inventory that produced the cited statistic also evaluated the source of the pollution. Measured in units meant to be equivalent to metric tons of carbon dioxide, 97 percent of the greenhouses gases were emitted in order to operate buildings across campus, including labs, offices, residences, and other facilities.
Two percent of the emissions were unintended “fugitive” emissions that leaked from refrigeration equipment, among other sources.
The remaining one percent of emissions was spewn from MIT’s fleet of vehicles.
The data from the inventory is publicly available online, and provides slightly more granular information about the sources of greenhouse gas emissions.
MIT invested in energy efficient technologies and upgrades and cleaner fuels in order to achieve the improvements. Some of the reduction also comes from buying more environmentally friendly electricity available from the grid.
MIT plans to further reduce its emissions by, among other things, upgrading its cogeneration power plant.