Posted March 2023
Lisa Tornatore (CAS’02) is the Boston University Director of Sustainability, an advisor to the Earth House, and an affiliated staff for BU URBAN. Previously working as a Sargent College Sustainability Liaison, she partners with colleagues across BU to advance sustainable policies and practices, green buildings, engagement opportunities, and more. We sat down with Lisa for an inside scoop on what BU is doing to lead Boston into a more sustainable future.
Q&A with Lisa Tornatore
What is BU Sustainability, and how does it impact the University?
BU Sustainability is responsible for implementing climate action programming and initiatives across campus. Our biggest area of focus is the University’s Climate Action Plan, which was implemented in 2017 and aims to make BU carbon-neutral by 2040. Along with the Climate Action Plan, we also launched a Zero Waste Plan in 2021, which puts BU on track to divert 90% of our waste from landfills and incinerators by 2030. So far, we are over 50% of the way towards our carbon neutrality goal and a third of the way towards our Zero Waste target.
After your time at Sargent College, what made you want to transition towards working with Sustainability?
I held various roles over a ten-year period at Sargent College, all of which led me closer and closer to a career in sustainability. While there, I was given the opportunity to serve as a Sustainability Liaison, where I helped develop the University’s Green Office Certification program and coordinated the LEED Silver Certification of the Makechnie Study Center–the first LEED Certified space on campus. All of this happened before sustainability was in my job description! I have been so lucky to be able to pursue my passions. Since then, I attained my LEED AP credential and consulted on several BU construction and renovation projects.
How did BU’s Climate Action Plan come to be?
The Climate Action Plan came to life as a result of student and faculty climate advocacy. If it were not for their voices, we would not be where we are today. It was developed within The Climate Action Plan Task Force, led by the late Anthony Janetos, an expert in climate science and former director of the Pardee Center for the Study of the Longer-Range Future.
BU agreed upon the 2040 carbon neutrality target partly because it is ten years ahead of Boston’s. We strongly believe that if we do not lead on climate action, Boston and the rest of our neighbors will find it challenging to reach their climate targets. Now that we are five years removed from the plan’s implementation, we are proving this is achievable. This was all done under the leadership of President Brown, who has been a champion of climate action both here at BU and in Greater Boston.
What is LEED certification and why is it so important?
LEED, which stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is the US Green Building Council’s green building rating system. It is widely considered the standard in determining the sustainability of a building or space.
All new construction and major renovations at BU must meet LEED Gold level standards. We have 27 LEED-certified buildings and spaces, including the Dahod Family Alumni Center (the Castle), 610 Beacon St. (formerly Myles Standish Hall), the School of Law, and the Kilachand Center for Integrated Life Sciences & Engineering.
The new Center for Computing & Data Sciences is on track to be BU’s first on-campus LEED Platinum building—the highest level within the LEED rating system—largely thanks to a geothermal closed-loop system that powers the building’s heating and cooling. No gas lines are feeding the building!
What’s the next project for Sustainability?
Over the coming months, there are two upcoming data-focused projects to look out for:
- You may see some people installing solar panels on the roofs of the Booth Theater, the Track and Tennis Center, and 25 Buick Street. We will receive real-time data that will be available to faculty & students who are conducting research in this area. Not to mention the renewable energy generated by this project!
- With the new Zero Waste program at the Center for Computing & Data Sciences, there will be live data that shows our community how they are doing on waste diversion. This will all be housed on a public-facing data dashboard encouraging our community to consider what it means to occupy a Zero Waste building. If you come and visit, you’ll be able to see this data on every floor on TV screens and a large interactive display at the East entrance.
How can our alumni community support BU Sustainability?
It is so important for our alumni to voice their support for BU’s plans to reach carbon neutrality and Zero Waste. One way you can do that is by supporting the Sustainability Annual Fund.
This support goes to programs like the Campus Climate Lab and the Sustainability Innovation Seed Grants, where BU students can directly impact the University’s climate action work. These programs have spurred research with our faculty to innovations and projects that make our community more sustainable.
For more information, visit the Sustainability at Boston University website.