In what is considered the first agreement of this type, MIT, Harvard University and the city of Cambridge have signed an agreement to work in partnership to address issues related to climate change at the local level.
The "Compact community for a sustainable future" provides a framework for signers and other organizations who choose a - for more coordinated and solid work for the challenges of local sustainability. The Pact seeks to exploit different organizations basic skills and competencies in research, best practices and governance to generate new solutions in the areas of reducing waste, energy efficiency, mitigation of climate and adaptation, management of water, renewable energy and environmental technology incubation.
President of the MIT. L. Rafael Reif joined Cambridge Mayor Henrietta Davis, administrator of the city, Bob Healy, Harvard President Drew Faust and Akamai CEO Tom Leighton in the firm, which was the opening event of the Symposium on sustainable urban design, organized by Professor of architecture Christoph Reinhart, the MIT Laboratory of sustainable design.
In his speech, Reif noted that the MIT and the city of Cambridge are already collaborating on many projects focusing on sustainability, including the Hubway bike-sharing system and mapping of local potential of solar energy. «Working together - through this Pact, will greatly increase our ability to understand the true nature of the challenge. «»»And we will improve our ability to advance that depends on our shared future.
In the future, the Pact hopes to attract new signatories of the business sectors, and nonprofit in Cambridge. A Committee is responsible for overseeing the effort to set priorities, coordinate work, collection of data, evaluating progress, and create a forum for the annual report. Akamai is the first business to join the Covenant; Reif said that the innovative and entrepreneurial culture of Akamai revolutionized Internet, and that those same qualities will be an invaluable asset to the collaboration.
Davis, who spearheaded the initiative, said: "Cambridge is in a position to serve as a leader in this response; We have an intellectual capital and a culture of innovation and commitment to the environment. I am very excited to partner with Harvard and MIT.
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