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This November, MAPC, Mayors and City- and Town Managers from Boston, Braintree, Brookline, Cambridge, Chelsea, Everett, Malden, Melrose, Medford, Newton, Quincy, Revere, Somerville and Winthrop, as well as state and federal partners, gathered at the 2016 Metropolitan Mayors Coalition (MMC) Climate Summit to review their climate preparedness accomplishments of the past year and plan ahead for ongoing and new preparedness and mitigation activities to be shepherded in 2017.
Read the press release for the Summit here.
At the summit, the 14 municipalities of the MMC announced a mitigation commitment inspired by last year's Paris Climate Accord signed by more than 190 countries.
In 2015, the MMC adopted the Metro Boston Climate Preparedness Commitment, which created a Taskforce to guide regional climate decisions in a collaborative manner. The Taskforce supports coordination of existing and planned climate resiliency efforts of Metro Boston. The latest regional pledge on mitigation expands on this leadership.
If you're interested in learning more about any of MAPC's clean energy or climate programs, please
contact us.
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Now more than ever, state and local governments play a unique role in combating the impact of climate change. Regional collaboration is one way that states can act independently of the federal government to aggressively curb emissions in the U.S.
That said - how many states in the U.S. currently participate in regional cap and trade programs to reduce greenhouse gas emissions?
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On November 18, our Clean Energy colleague, Axum Teferra, presented on a COP 22 official side event panel in Marrakech on the topic of "Transatlantic Perspectives on Integrating Climate Mitigation and Adaptation in Cities". Axum highlighted the work of the Metro Boston Climate Preparedness Taskforce, and spoke on the various strategies that municipalities in the MAPC region are taking to advance both mitigation and preparedness.
This event, hosted by the Ecologic Institute, featured best practices across European Union and US cities for integrating mitigation and adaptation planning and policy initiatives, and discussed the evolving role of cities in a changing political environment.
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DOER Launches energyCENTS: an Online Portal for Energy Financing
Earlier this month,
the Department of Energy Resources (DOER) launched an online clearinghouse for energy financing opportunities. The
Commonwealth Energy Tool for Savings (energyCENTS) provides a single entry point to all of the energy saving opportunities available to Massachusetts residents, businesses and institutions. energyCENTS provides you with information on rebates, loans and financing for electric vehicles, appliances, home energy assessments, solar electricity and more, \then connects you directly to the sponsor's website to ease of access.
Currently the platform is only designed for agricultural entities, businesses/institutions, clean energy industry representatives, and residents. This makes energyCENTS a valuable resource for cities and towns to connect their residents and businesses to clean energy options and financing opportunities. If you are searching for incentives available to municipal or state entities, contact
DOER.Energy@State.MA.US.
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Mass Energy Launches Drive Green: an Electric Vehicle Group Buy Program
At the start of the month,
Mass Energy Consumers Alliance launched the first group buy program for electric vehicles in the Northeast Region. The program,
Drive Green, is offering pre-negotiated discounts on five of the most popular electric vehicle models currently available with some prices as low as $12,000 for a Nissan Leaf fully electric vehicle. Anyone from across the country can participate by purchasing these vehicle models from participating dealerships in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. The program will run until
February 28, 2017. Find out more about the program and how you could make the choice in the New Year to drive greener
here.
Source: Union of Concerned Scientists
Massachusetts is not the first state in the country to launch a group buy program to promote electric vehicle purchases. The concept of a time limited group buy program to accelerate adoption of electric vehicles was originally piloted in
Colorado
and
Utah
, where both communities witnessed increases in vehicle purchases made as a result of the promotional offer. Read more about these respective programs
here
.
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MA DOER Green Communities Annual Report Deadline: Dec 2
Are you a designated Green Community? Don't forget that Green Communities Annual Reports for 2016 are due to your Regional Coordinator on Friday, December 2, by 5pm. Please contact your Green Communities Regional Coordinator if you have any questions about your annual report. You can find their contact information here.
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E2 and MAPC Host Luncheon on Cities' Leadership on Climate Change: Dec 5
Join MAPC and E2 (Environmental Entrepreneurs) at a Luncheon on Monday, December 5, from
12 PM to 2 PM
in Boston.
By 2080, cities will be home to 80 percent of the world's population. As we face the existential challenge of climate change, our cities are leading on the journey to a carbon-free economy and climate resilient communities. In the process, they are transforming core urban systems in ways that will radically change the nature of urban life for many decades to come.
Please join us to discuss how cities are changing and leading on climate change with our two distinguished speakers. Jonathan F.P. Rose - arguably the nation's foremost developer of affordable, environmentally sensitive, socially conscious housing projects - will discuss how to create resilient cities.
The City of Boston, fully aware of this challenge, was recognized at the Paris Climate Summit for its leadership in tackling climate change. The Boston Green Ribbon Commission, headed by John Cleveland, has been a major factor in this movement.
Learn more
here, and register for the event
here.
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Join
MassCEC at a TiE Boston Deep Dive event on Carbon Capture, Use and Storage (CCUS) on
Monday, December 5, from 6PM to 9PM. At the event you will hear from Phil Duffy of Woods Hole Research Center and Howard Herzog of MIT, on why it is important to pay attention to carbon dioxide reduction in the atmosphere by forestry and other means.
Read more about the speakers and register for the event
here.
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EcoDistricts is an organization focused on building sustainable and resilient cities on a neighborhood by neighborhood basis. Last month, they launched their
Certification program for project teams wanting support and third party verification on their district scale projects, and their
Accredited Professional program for individuals who want to demonstrate their expertise in neighborhood-scale work.
Join fellow urban placemakers, architects, planners, landscape architects, and engineers at an Accreditation Training on
December 6
, from
8:30 AM
to
4 PM
in
Boston
. At the training, y
ou'll learn how to prepare a community asset map, evaluate metrics around energy, water, resiliency and social equity, and determine targets for transforming a district, neighborhood or campus into a
vibrant community. Learn more and register here.
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Join
Achieve Renewable Energy
,
Water Furnace
,
MassCEC
, and
DOER
at a seminar on Geothermal Incentives on
December 8, from 12 PM to 4 PM
in
Beverly, MA
. The focus of the seminar will be financial incentives for installation of geothermal systems at commercial, municipal and multi-unit residential facilities in Massachusetts.
Complementary lunch will be provided at the event. Space is limited, so please send an RSVP with your first and last name, phone number, company name, and job title to this email address to reserve your spot:
info@achieverenewable.com
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Join
Climate Action Business Association
(CABA) and
Solstice Initiative
on
Thursday, December 15, from 6 PM to 8 PM
to discuss the State of Solar in Massachusetts. This event will feature a panel of experts who will discuss the political climate, accomplishments, and challenges, for solar energy in Massachusetts. Following the panel, will be an open forum and networking event, where food and beverages will be provided.
Register for the event
here.
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The
Department of Energy Resources (DOER)
is soliciting written stakeholder input addressing whether Massachusetts should adopt targets for energy storage systems. This input will help to inform DOER in making the determination of whether to set appropriate targets for electric companies.
DOER has requested stakeholders consider topics such as: (1) Should DOER adopt energy storage system targets for electric companies in Massachusetts, (2) Would a target influence the amount of storage you plan to install in Massachusetts, (3) How may a target impact cost effective deployment of energy storage in Massachusetts, (4) How may targets impact your organization, (5) How may targets impact achieving the Massachusetts Global Warming Solutions Act emissions reduction goals, (6) Should a statewide target beyond electric companies be incorporated, and (7) other considerations which may guide the DOER's decision.
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Metropolitan Area Planning Council | 60 Temple Place | Boston, MA 02111
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