Mayor Walsh Releases Draft Climate Action Plan

Mayor Martin J. Walsh announced the release of the draft 2014 Climate Action Plan for public comment on Wednesday.

According to a recent press release, the City of Boston also released the latest municipal greenhouse gas emissions report for fiscal year 2012-2013, which demonstrates a 27 percent reduction in adjusted carbon emissions since 2005. The goal of a 25 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions has been reached, seven years ahead of schedule. A new goal is being evaluated.

“The 2014 Climate Action Plan update provides a transparent and analytically robust strategy for reaching our climate goals,” said Mayor Martin J. Walsh. “The City of Boston is leading by example through its emissions reduction efforts and we continue to prioritize cost-saving measures that also help the environment.”

The 2014 Plan is the second iteration of Boston’s climate action plan, which is updated every three years. When completed, the final 2014 Plan will include:

• A rigorous greenhouse gas measuring and modeling methodology, with a first look towards Boston’s 80 percent by 2050 emissions reduction goal.
• An emphasis on key cross-cutting themes of social equity, economic development, community engagement, and public health and safety.
• A new performance measurement system to measure year-over-year progress and keep us on track to meeting Boston’s goals.

The draft plan will be open to public comments for three weeks. It will also be the focus of the Mayor’s second Civic Academy on Nov. 17 at the New England Aquarium at 6:30 p.m. Call the Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Services with any questions about the Civic Academy Program at 617-635-3485.

After reviewing and incorporating public comments and finalizing graphics, the final plan will be released in early January.

Image via Shutterstock.