BOSTON (January 13, 2025) – As Chair of the Committee on Environmental Justice, Resiliency, and Parks, Councilor Gabriela Coletta Zapata (District 1) has printed a complete report titled “Boston Rising: Constructing a Resilient Metropolis on a Hill By Native Local weather Motion,” following conferences and proposals from dozens of environmental advocacy organizations. This 19-page report highlights Boston’s management as a mannequin for native local weather motion, particularly in response to potential federal rollbacks of environmental laws and decreased funding for local weather resilience. The report additionally introduces modern municipal coverage proposals and funding methods to guard Boston from the hostile results of local weather change.
The report outlines the committee’s accomplishments below Coletta Zapata’s management and presents a forward-looking technique by way of actionable coverage suggestions. In 2024, the committee oversaw greater than $33 million in funding to assist Boston’s tree cover, parks, meals system, and clear power initiatives. The committee additionally held quite a few hearings and dealing classes to advance Boston’s environmental aims.
Current strategic breakthroughs of the committee embody establishing the Workplace of Local weather Resilience, standardizing local weather science and environmental justice training in Boston Public Colleges, workforce growth initiatives within the inexperienced and blue financial system sectors, re-imagining Boston’s meals programs together with the acquisition of a meals hub, and adopting BERDO 2.0 and the Equitable Emissions Funding Fund.
New proposals embody establishing a municipal local weather financial institution and issuing inexperienced bonds, advancing electrification and geothermal options, transitioning to wash power sources, implementing resilient zoning requirements and mitigation methods, lowering polystyrene and plastic waste, integrating local weather objectives with sustainable mobility initiatives, and growing a Waterfront Enterprise Enchancment District (BID).
The report additionally emphasizes the significance of native local weather management by leveraging strategic planning and modern funding mechanisms to compensate for potential reductions in federal assist. Steered measures embody in search of native basis and grant funding, collaborative legislative advocacy, forming public-private partnerships, using various federal packages, and fostering regional collaboration.
“Our objective is evident: to maintain Boston on a path towards attaining its bold local weather objectives whereas making certain that each voice is heard and each neighborhood advantages from the transformation forward,” mentioned Coletta Zapata. “We can not afford to attend for others to behave; Boston should cleared the path with options that put our communities first. I prolong my gratitude to everybody who contributed to this report and to these dedicated to constructing a greener and extra resilient future.”
“This report is a outstanding breakdown of the Metropolis’s present efforts and a terrific roadmap for the long run. Steps like a municipal local weather financial institution can guarantee our local weather efforts hold going and rising, particularly within the absence of main federal local weather funding. I’m thrilled to see the Metropolis Council lead on local weather justice. My thanks, particularly, to Chair Coletta Zapata and Vice Chair Weber for his or her management of this committee,” mentioned Hessann Farooqi, Government Director of the Boston Local weather Motion Community (BCAN).
“Investments within the Mary Ellen Welch Greenway and the Metropolis’s Border Avenue nature-based safety plan are prime examples of how the Metropolis works with neighborhoods to establish and protect vital property. Whereas storm waters may cause billions in property injury, our current summer season knowledgeable us that wildfires, excessive temperatures, and air air pollution trigger instant and widespread well being points, particularly among the many poor. The Councilor’s report is a gateway report that paperwork all these points and presents sensible coverage responses to those and different points. Local weather advocates and coverage wonks ought to hold it as a helpful and easy-read to share with residents of our Metropolis neighborhoods,” mentioned Philip Giffee, Government Director of Neighborhood of Inexpensive Housing (NOAH).
To learn Coletta Zapata’s report in full, please go to bit.ly/EJ_GCZReport. For added info please contact the Workplace of Councilor Gabriela Coletta Zapata by telephone at (617) 635-3200 or by e mail at gabriela.ramirez@boston.gov.
