Updating the Boston Climate Action Plan
June 26, 2014
The City of Boston recently announced the launch of a multi-month, city-wide effort to update the City’s Climate Action Plan. Required for update every three years, the City is using this opportunity to not only measure our progress towards the City’s 2020 goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions 25%, but to re-evaluate the strategies identified within the existing plan and to develop new strategies to fill any potential short falls. The City will also be using this update to 
create a comprehensive climate preparedness plan that will help ready the City for future sea-level rise and severe weather evens like Superstorm Sandy. To accomplish this update, the City is actively engaging with individuals and organizations to gather feedback and guidance.
ABC is playing several important roles during this process. Through our work on the Green Ribbon Commission’s Commercial Real Estate Working Group, ABC will be leading the Large Building and Institution Working Group that is charged with reviewing and recommending strategies directly related to commercial real estate. This includes energy efficiency programs provided directly through the utilities and/or strategies developed by the public sector or private third parties. ABC’s Challenge for Sustainability program, which directly engages over 35 million square feet of commercial real estate space at nearly 100 facilities and other similar programs will also be looked at for greater collaboration within an updated climate plan as a way of leveraging the existing relationships to encourage deeper investments in energy and sustainability programs.
ABC’s President & CEO Rick Dimino will be chairing the Transportation working group which will be working directly with the City’s Transportation Department to conduct an urban mobility visioning process, to develop a shared vision for a Boston region multi-modal urban mobility system that improves access, quality of life, and reduces greenhouse gas emissions.
To get involved with ABC’s efforts to update the City’s Climate Action Plan, please contact David Straus at dstraus@abettercity.org or visit Engage Greenovate Boston at http://engage.greenovateboston.org
