Boston’s 2030 climate goal progress

Let’s check in on Boston’s climate goals. According to a new report by The Boston Foundation + Northeastern University researchers, our city has quite a ways to go on its mission to cut carbon emissions in half by 2030.

That goal is part of the Climate Action Plan, which aims to have Boston become net-zero by 2050.

The Inaugural Boston Climate Progress Report notes that only incremental achievement has been made on creating a cleaner electric grid, improving vehicle efficiency + adopting energy efficiency measures more broadly.

It’s not all bad news, though. The report also found that Boston has made significant progress on climate policies like the Building Energy Reduction and Disclosure Ordinance, which set requirements for large buildings to reduce energy use.

Graphic via The Boston Foundation

Ultimately, there are four critical changes — or “big lifts” — the city will need to implement to reach the goal in the next eight years:

🏠 Electrify small buildings, including the city’s 70,000 single and small multifamily homes.
⚡ Modernize and improve local electrical planning + the electrical grid.
🌊 Make the coastline more resilient to rising seas (think: the aim of the Emerald Tutu project).
💭 Prioritize reparative planning for frontline neighborhoods that have experienced the “first and worst” of climate change impacts, like East Boston, Roxbury, Dorchester + Mattapan.

Want to take action? Get involved with Greenovate, the city’s initiative to carry out the Climate Action Plan in our neighborhoods + communities. You can volunteer at a cleanup event or become an ambassador or leader.