city_hall

Official websites use .boston.gov

A .boston.gov website belongs to an official government organization in the City of Boston.

lock

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS

A lock or https:// means you've safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Last updated:

Boston Climate Action

We're creating a clear vision for how we will reach our carbon neutrality goal while also preparing Boston for climate change.

We want Boston to continue to develop as a vibrant and sustainable city. We're currently taking steps to address climate change by both reducing carbon pollution and strengthening our resilience to its impacts. We use science, policy, and community engagement to plan for how we can address the long-term risks of climate change.

2019 Climate Action Plan

Cities contribute 70 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. Like many leading cities around the world, Boston created a climate action plan to reduce its impact on global climate change.

Learn about the 2019 Update

We also created an online Story Map to summarize the report:

Recent Climate Action Plan update

The 2019 update details 18 strategies to increase carbon reductions from buildings and transportation over the next five years. By accelerating carbon reductions, we're honoring our commitment under the Paris Climate Accord to keep global warming under 2 degrees.

Equity in the 2019 update

The 2019 update was shaped by a community working group that included over 60 organizations across Boston. Each action includes a section titled, "Designing for Equity". The section includes ideas and principles to carry out each step in an equitable way.

our goals work together

We'll put in place these new carbon reduction actions alongside our ongoing programs. Our goals include:

  1. preparing for the impacts of climate change
  2. becoming a zero-waste community, and
  3. protecting our natural resources.

Get involved

Greenovate Boston aims to get all Bostonians involved in addressing climate change. We seek to empower residents to carry out community-level action in support of Boston’s climate goals.

Learn about Greenovate

What is a climate action plan?

The Climate Action Plan is Boston's roadmap for how we will reach our greenhouse gas reduction goals.

With the plan, Boston will continue to develop as a vibrant and sustainable city for current and future generations. We plan to champion the actions needed to meet the global challenges of climate change.

Aside from meeting Boston’s climate goals, carrying out the actions laid out in the 2019 Update will lead to a host of other benefits. By going carbon free and getting climate ready, we are also:

  1. providing clean air
  2. improving mobility and access
  3. building a green economy with blue collar jobs, and
  4. protecting all Bostonians.

In other words, this work is essential for a healthy, thriving and resilient Boston.

Learn about the 2019 Update

Progress

2019 Boston CAP Tracker - October 2021 update

Across the City, we recognize the importance of tracking our progress and being transparent. In addition to the summary image above, we are sharing a machine readable version. You can find previous updates online. We will release regular progress reports on the 2019 Climate Action Plan Update:

COASTAL RESILIENCE PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION

The City has published coastal resilience plans for all 47 miles of our coastline. Learn more and view our implementation progress using our online map dashboard.

Coastal Resilience Project Tracker

Back to top