The Haas Sustainability Task Force (HSTF) is at the center of creating tangible change at Haas, the wider Berkeley campus, and beyond.
Staff, students and faculty from Haas and all over campus are members of the HSTF.
Additionally, the HSTF has a VP/Co-VP from each degree program (Full-Time MBA, Evening and Weekend MBAs, Executive MBA and Undergraduate HBSA). The VP is responsible for working with their program office and peers to identify appropriate and strategic sustainable initiatives that help increase awareness and reduce Haas’ carbon footprint, including reducing or eliminating waste, emissions, etc.
The HSTF meets once a month to discuss, collaborate, apply design thinking techniques, and strategize on how to implement new ideas for sustainable infrastructure, operations, and innovation at Haas.
All are welcome to join us for our monthly meeting
Email us at [email protected]
Task Force Initiatives
Rechargeable Battery Program
Save money, stop waste
AAA, AA, 9 Volt and Lithium Batteries available for check out for Haas students, staff and faculty to use in your campus and home devices. Click here for more info.
The Haas Tree Planting Project
Haas is committed to planting 400 trees this academic year to achieve these objectives:
- Educate, create awareness, and take responsibility for the effects that our materials have on these communities, including more air and water pollution, higher levels of health issues, more carbon in the atmosphere, etc.
- In 2019, Haas printed over 400 million pages of paper – to offset that printing, Haas needs to plant 400 trees. Moving forward, the intention is to encourage behavior change around printing habits, with the goal to print less in 2021
- Planting trees is essential to help sequester carbon, increase canopies, increase communities’ positive public health indicators, create shade to cool, and support biodiversity – all essential for a healthy planet and community
- Engage staff, faculty and students in these projects that make a positive impact and grow partnership for further engagements
As of December 2021, we have planted 150 mature redwoods at the Richmond Materials Recovery Facility.
Hives@Haas
- Partnership with Best Bees to bring bee hives to Haas
- Educate and engage our Haas community around the benefits of bees to the environment and their necessity to our overall survival
- Partner with Food@Haas, Berkeley Food Institute, Haas Sustainable Food Initiative, Haas courses and campus to engage students and incorporate Haas Hives into the classroom
Herbicide Free Campus
Help beautify Haas and keep campus toxin free!
UC Berkeley is an herbicide free campus (glyphosate was banned in 2019) and due to natural methods of controlling weeds on campus, Haas regularly needs extra hands to help our hard-working grounds crew.
Cafe Think dine-in extended beyond the cafe
Take your food to go on a reusable dish! Enjoy it in the courtyard, in class or at your desk. There are return stations now located in the Faculty and Staff Lounges.
Haas Printer Challenge
In 2019, the Haas Undergrad program participated in a printer competition led by nonprofit Root Solutions. We are happy to report that our student campaign successfully achieved our overall project goals of reducing student paper usage, changing existing norms surrounding paper use, involving students in behavior design initiatives, and increasing awareness of the environmental consequences of paper waste. To read the full report, click here.
Haas FreeCycle
The Haas community comes together twice a year to bring items from their homes that are in good shape to offer for free to others. This is a great opportunity to clean one’s home and also find treasures.
Fill it Forward
At each water station there is a Fill it Forward barcode that participants can scan and they contribute to charitable projects around the world. Participants can track the progress of the projects and get updates when they are completed.