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Climate Leaders Proposal
The inaugural group of 35 Green Communities was designated in 2010. Since then, the program has grown to include 286 municipalities. On June 30th 2022, the Secretary of the EEA released the Clean Energy and Climate Plan for 2025 and 2030.
The 2025/2030 CECP is rooted in the understanding that climate change poses a unique and potentially irreversible threat to the well-being of society. It expresses the Commonwealth’s plans for 2025 and 2030 that maximize the ability to realize a 2050 future in which the heat in homes, power in vehicles, and electric grid can all operate with a minimum reliance on fossil fuels, and natural and working lands can be protected from conversion and better managed and restored to enhance carbon sequestration.
As a result, DOER intends to offer additional opportunities and resources to municipalities that have been actively participating in the Green Communities Designation and Grant Program through a new program that aligns with the Commonwealth’s goals.
Tentatively called “Climate Leaders”, this voluntary program seeks to incentivize municipalities to implement clean energy and climate-friendly policies, community engagement, and sustainable transportation programs..
DOER is interested in hearing from municipalities and those who collaborate with them.
Comments will be accepted via this online form until 5 pm on August 5th:
GO TO OFFICIAL Mass.Gov WEBPAGE TO CLICK LINK TO FORM https://www.mass.gov/orgs/green-communities-division
--------------- PRIOR TO COMMENTING. ---------------
Please view the informational slides with recording outlining the proposed Climate Leader Initiative proposal here:
--> https://vimeo.com/731070545
You can view and download the Climate Leader Initiative Proposal informational slides only here:
--> https://www.mass.gov/doc/climate-leaders-program-framework/download
In Massachusetts, no community — from the Berkshires to Boston — is spared the lethal consequences of air pollution, according to a new study from researchers at Boston College.
The researchers estimated that about 2,800 people in Massachusetts died of conditions attributable to air pollution in 2019, and in a first-of-its-kind analysis, they broke down that number for each of the state’s 351 cities and towns. Their findings are available in a searchable public map.
The researchers also estimated that air pollution caused about 15,000 cases of pediatric asthma and about 300 underweight births in 2019, and the cumulative impact on childhood cognitive development is a loss of about 2 performance IQ points for the average child.
“Despite all the progress the state has made in regulating air pollution, it still causes death and disease in every single city and town across the Commonwealth,” said lead author Dr. Philip Landrigan, a biology professor who directs Boston College’s Global Observatory on Planetary Health. Economically disadvantaged and socially underserved communities are particularly hard hit, he added.
Environmental health advocates said the study’s findings and public map could spur action to reduce air pollution.
It came down to the wire and required suspending some parliamentary rules, but the Massachusetts Legislature got a robust climate bill to Gov. Charlie Baker on Thursday night.
The bill represents a compromise between the House’s offshore wind-focused legislation and the Senate’s wider reaching clean energy and climate bill.
Baker now has 10 days — or until July 31 — to sign or veto the bill. July 31 is also the final day of the legislative session, meaning if there’s a veto, lawmakers might only have a few hours to override it.
Putting that drama aside for a moment, there’s a lot in this bill. And if it’s passed, it will have a big impact on climate and clean energy policy in the state. So here, in plain English, is what you should know about it:
Download PowerPoint Presentation slides.
Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness Program (MVP)
Our cities and towns are on the front lines of climate change. The MVP program from the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) works with communities across the state to identify climate hazards, assess vulnerabilities, and develop and implement action plans to improve resilience to climate change.
State Hazard Mitigation & Climate Adaptation Plan (SHMCAP)
In the face of climate change, it is critical to build long-term resilience throughout Massachusetts by leveraging historical risk data and integrating that data with projected future climate conditions. The 2018 State Hazard Mitigation and Climate Adaptation Plan (SHMCAP) accounts for projected changes in precipitation, temperature, sea-level rise, and extreme weather events to position the Commonwealth to effectively reduce the risks associated with natural hazards and the effects of climate change. The first five-year update of the SHMCAP is soon to be underway.
Resilient Massachusetts Action Team (RMAT)
The RMAT is an inter-agency team comprised of representatives from each Secretariat. The RMAT is tasked with monitoring and tracking the State Hazard Mitigation and Climate Adaptation Plan (SHMCAP) implementation process, making recommendations to and supporting agencies on plan updates, and facilitating coordination across State government and with stakeholders.
Mitigating Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
The Global Warming Solutions Act (GWSA) of 2008 requires a 25% reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from all sectors of the economy below the 1990 baseline emission level in 2020 and at least an 80% reduction in 2050.
The Act Creating A Next-Generation Roadmap for Massachusetts Climate Policy, signed into law in 2021, requires at least 50% emissions reduction by 2030, at least 75% emissions reduction by 2040, and at least net zero GHG emissions by 2050, provided that in no event shall the level of emissions in 2050 be higher than a level 85% below the 1990 level.
Stretch Energy Code Development 2022
Department of Energy Resources' process for updating Stretch Energy Code & Specialized Stretch Energy Code
This page covers the Department of Energy Resources' process for updating the existing ‘Stretch Building Energy Code’ as well as the new ‘Municipal Opt-in Specialized Stretch Energy Code’ according to the statutory requirements most recently updated by the Climate Act of 2021.
You can find links to the current 9th edition Massachusetts building energy code and stretch code at our Green Communities page and at the Office of Public Safety and Inspections and the integrated 2020 MA energy code book hosted by the International Code Council (ICC).
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"Air Pollution impacts everyone.
The World Health Organization calls air pollution the fifth-largest cause of death globally and “one of the biggest environmental threats to human health”. Each year, it is responsible for between 4 and 5 million deaths worldwide.
In 2019, air pollution caused almost 200,000 deaths in the United States—more than stroke, Alzheimer’s, or diabetes. While the US has achieved control over air pollutants like lead, the deaths caused by air pollution today result from exposure to microscopic airborne particles called PM2.5. These pollutants are formed by the burning of gas, oil, and coal and cause heart attacks, stroke, chronic lung disease, asthma, and premature death. PM2.5 causes stillbirth, low birth weight, and IQ loss in children.
Disease and death caused by PM2.5 pollution can be prevented. Prevention will require courageous political action that is informed by science and stops pollution at its sources.
We encourage you to explore this website to learn about PM2.5 pollution and its health effects, and to find out how you can protect yourself, your family, and your community against air pollution."
The latest heat waves have only reminded me of the world to come if we don’t take decisive action to address climate change now. That’s why I applaud that, on Thursday, the Massachusetts legislature sent Governor Baker a highly anticipated Climate and Energy bill, and we are hoping he signs it by the deadline, July 31.
Here is why Governor Baker’s prompt signature on the bill, “An Act Driving Clean Energy and Offshore Wind,” matters now more than ever.
-----> What’s good about the bill and why
The bill has numerous important pieces that are needed to advance an equitable clean energy economy and transition away from fossil fuels. These include:
Clean electricity.
The bill recognizes that workforce development is a key to propelling the Commonwealth’s nascent offshore wind industry and it gives the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center a central role in advancing research and innovation. It also advances an inclusive and equitable workforce by giving more weight to projects that support workforce agreements with labor organizations, provide employment opportunities to low-income and minority workers, and support other social and environmental benefits. Equally important, the bill removes barriers to access for rooftop solar and instructs the Department of Energy Resources to conduct a study on energy storage that could result in the solicitation of up to 4,800 megawatt-hours (almost five times the current target). All these pieces are vital for moving us closer to a future where the electrons that power our economy come from clean sources.
Clean transportation.
The bill offers rebates at point-of-sale for electric vehicles (EVs); this is huge! No more waiting to get a rebate check – which is often a limiting factor in purchasing an EV. The bill also provides up to $5000 in rebates, with an additional $1500 for low-income individuals, for the purchase of EVs less than $55,000. Among other elements, the bill also calls for the MBTA bus fleet to be 100% electrified by 2040, with priority deployment of zero-emission buses on routes that pass through environmental justice communities.
Moving away from fossil fuels.
Moving to clean energy needs to be paired with explicit actions to cut our dependence on fossil fuels. That’s why it is great to see that the bill requires Mass Save to stop providing rebates for heating and cooling systems powered by fossil fuels starting in 2025 (unless these systems are used as backup). Additionally, it brings accountability and transparency to the ongoing study on the future of gas led by Department of Public Utilities, by ensuring that this study is no longer only informed by the utilities and that other actors have a say in the planning process.
What’s next: more ambition
"This is 'Climate Leaders RFI for web.mp4' by Mass DOER on Vimeo...."
BOSTON — Building on its ambitious commitment to achieve Net Zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the Commonwealth by 2050, the Baker-Polito Administration today released two reports - the Massachusetts 2050 Decarbonization Roadmap Report and an interim 2030 Clean Energy and Climate Plan (CECP) – that detail policies and strategies to equitably and cost-effectively reduce emissions and combat climate change. To maximize the Commonwealth’s ability to meet its 2050 target, Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Kathleen Theoharides set an interim 2030 statewide emissions limit of 45% below 1990 levels.
“The people of Massachusetts are experiencing record droughts, increased risk of wildfire, severe weather, and flooding in our coastal communities. The costly impacts of climate change are on display in the Commonwealth, making it critical that we take action,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “I was proud to commit the Commonwealth to achieving Net Zero emissions, and the reports released today move the Commonwealth toward that goal equitably and affordably.”
“The release of the 2050 Roadmap and Clean Energy and Climate Plan for 2030 marks an important step forward in the Commonwealth’s strategy to reduce emissions and take meaningful action against climate change,” said Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito. “Our ambitious Net Zero target offers us a great opportunity to build a healthier, more resilient Commonwealth, delivering significant benefits to our communities including clean, reliable energy, improved air quality, and new pathways for job creation and economic growth.”
Adapting to Climate Change
Improving our resiliency to climate impacts and to helping our communities adapt to climate change.
Executive Order 569 called for the integration of the Commonwealth's climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts. The development of a Statewide Hazard Mitigation and Climate Adaptation Plan represents a first step toward planning and preparing for climate change, while the 2018 Environmental Bond will help to implement adaptation and resilience projects.
On June 30th 2022, the Secretary of the EEA released the Clean Energy and Climate Plan for 2025 and 2030. The 2025/2030 CECP represents the Commonwealth of Massachusetts’ comprehensive plans to achieve aggressive emissions reduction in 2025 and 2030. The 2025/2030 CECP is rooted in the understanding that climate change poses a unique and potentially irreversible threat to the well-being of society. It expresses the Commonwealth’s plans for 2025 and 2030 that maximize the ability to realize a 2050 future in which the heat in homes, power in vehicles, and electric grid can all operate with a minimum reliance on fossil fuels, and natural and working lands can be protected from conversion and better managed and restored to enhance carbon sequestration. The 2025/2030 CECP exhibits the confidence that Massachusetts can help lead the clean energy transition and that doing so will mean more well-paying jobs, improved public health, reduced consumer costs, and better quality of life for all residents. ……………..
Massachusetts Clean Energy and Climate Plan for 2025 and 2030
The Clean Energy and Climate Plan for 2025 and 2030 (2025/2030 CECP) provides details on the actions the Commonwealth will undertake through the next decade to ensure the 2025 and 2030 emissions limits are met. The 2025/2030 CECP development is informed by the 2050 Decarbonization Roadmap such that the strategies, policies, and actions outlined in the 2025/2030 CECP will put the Commonwealth on a pathway to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
Climate Leaders Proposal
The inaugural group of 35 Green Communities was designated in 2010. Since then, the program has grown to include 286 municipalities. On June 30th 2022, the Secretary of the EEA released the Clean Energy and Climate Plan for 2025 and 2030.
The 2025/2030 CECP is rooted in the understanding that climate change poses a unique and potentially irreversible threat to the well-being of society. It expresses the Commonwealth’s plans for 2025 and 2030 that maximize the ability to realize a 2050 future in which the heat in homes, power in vehicles, and electric grid can all operate with a minimum reliance on fossil fuels, and natural and working lands can be protected from conversion and better managed and restored to enhance carbon sequestration.
As a result, DOER intends to offer additional opportunities and resources to municipalities that have been actively participating in the Green Communities Designation and Grant Program through a new program that aligns with the Commonwealth’s goals.
Tentatively called “Climate Leaders”, this voluntary program seeks to incentivize municipalities to implement clean energy and climate-friendly policies, community engagement, and sustainable transportation programs..
MA Decarbonization Roadmap
To achieve long-term emission reduction goals within the Commonwealth, the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs is undertaking a planning process to identify cost-effective and equitable strategies to ensure Massachusetts reduces greenhouse gas emissions by at least 85% by 2050 and achieves net-zero emissions.
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