History of the Harvard Sustainability Pledge
2002 -2004 
In 2002 the first annual pledge campaign "Go Cold Turkey" started and about 1,000
Harvard students pledged each year to to turn off lights, computers, etc. over Thanksgiving break.
2005
The annual campaign was expanded in 2005 to the "Harvard Sustainability Pledge,"
with a broader goal to encourage a culture of environmental sustainability on campus.
4,300 students, staff, and faculty signed the pledge, resulting in a purchase of 4 million
kWhs of Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs).
2006
In 2006 over 7,000 students, staff, and faculty from across the campus pledged to reduce their own environmental impacts!
A few examples:
- 5,700 people pledged to turn off computers and lights at night.
- 5,400 people pledged to enable sleep mode on their computer.
- 3,700 people pledged to buy paper made with at least 30% recycled paper.
- 4,600 people pledged to double-side when they make copies.
- 3,821 people pledged to bring their own coffee mug or water glass instead of using a disposable one.
31 buildings met the 50% pledge rate challenge, earning wind power to offset 10% of their building's electricity use,
resulting in the purchase of 6 million kWhs of wind power RECs that will offset 56 million pounds of greenhouse gases.
2007
In 2007, the Pledge continued to grow, with over 8,000 students, staff, and faculty across campus pledging to make at least 3 small changes to their daily lives.
In 2007 the prize was changed- instead of purchasing wind RECs, $1.50 was put into a fund to purchase a renewable energy system for the campus. The enormous response to the Pledge resulted resulted in $12,000 for this renewable energy system. Three schools applied for the money, and it was awarded to FAS to install a solar thermal hot water system on 3 Sacramento Street (an undergraduate co-op).
2008
The Pledge's 2008 theme is "my greenhouse gas commitment" to coincide with and celebrate Harvard's University-wide Greenhouse Gas Reduction Commitment. The prize will continue to be funding for an
on-campus renewable energy system, which will help to lower our greenhouse gas emissions.