Greater Boston Climate Action Plan
An Effort Funded by the EPA’s Climate Pollution Reduction Grant (CPRG)
Latest Updates and Upcoming Events
Check here for upcoming events related to the regional Climate Action Plan.
Justice40 Advisory Group Seeking Participants
We are seeking up to 15 community-based organizations and non-profits from across Greater Boston to serve on the Justice40 Advisory Group to help shape our regional climate action plan. The resulting plan will help guide the region’s efforts to reduce carbon pollution, improve community health, mitigate the impacts of climate change, and open the door for Federal funding within our region. If you're interested in participating in the Advisory Group, please fill out the interest form by Wednesday, December 13. Members will be asked to participate in up to seven meetings between now and August 2025 and eligible to receive a stipend for up to $4,000.
About the Metro Boston Climate Action Plan
The Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) and partners are developing a region-wide Climate Action Plan (CAP) under the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)’s Climate Pollution Reduction Grant (CPRG) program. The regional plan encompasses 167 communities within Metro Boston, including parts of southern New Hampshire, and will center the priorities and ideas of Massachusetts’ Environmental Justice communities and federally designated Justice40 communities.
Throughout this project, we will develop:
- a region-wide Greenhouse Gas (GHG) inventory and emissions reduction scenarios;
- a Priority Climate Action Plan (PCAP) with a focus on energy systems, buildings, and transportation (by March 1, 2024); and
- a Comprehensive Climate Action Plan (CCAP) across all sectors (by August 2025).
This effort is led by MAPC, in partnership with regional planning agencies Old Colony Planning Council (OCPC), Merrimack Valley Planning Council (MVPC), Northern Middlesex Council of Governments (NMCOG), Southern New Hampshire Planning Commission (SNPC), Rockingham Planning Commission (RPC), and Nashua Regional Planning Commission (NRPC) . The EPA is also providing funding to the State of Massachusetts and State of New Hampshire to develop state-wide climate action plans on similar timelines. We will coordinate closely with state entities and neighboring metro-regions on these efforts.
What is a Metropolitan Statistical Area?
A Metropolitan Statistical Area, or MSA, is a federal government designation of a regional geography with a dense population center and characterized by strong social and economic ties throughout the region. The Boston MSA is comprised of 167 municipalities across Eastern Massachusetts and parts of Southern New Hampshire. The EPA is providing funding for the 67 most populous MSAs in the country to develop regional climate action plans. Planning for climate change action at the regional level supports critical collaboration across municipalities that have shared challenges and shared infrastructure.
Justice40 and Environmental Justice
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts defines Environmental Justice as “the principle that all people have a right to be protected from environmental hazards and to live in and enjoy a clean and healthful environment. Environmental justice is the equal protection and meaningful involvement of all people with respect to development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies and the equitable distribution of environmental benefits”. In Massachusetts, Environmental Justice Communities are designated based on a neighborhood’s 1) household median income, 2) percentage of residents who are racial minorities, and 3) percentage of households who experience English language isolation.
In 2021, the federal government made a commitment that 40% of the overall benefits of federal investment flow to socio-economically disadvantaged communities that are also overburdened by environmental pollution. These federally designated communities are known as “Justice40” and have some overlap with Massachusetts’s EJ Community designation. As a Federally funded project, our regional Climate Action Plan aims to center and prioritize Justice40 and EJ communities within the planning process, development of GHG reduction strategies, and future implementation of the plan.
In addition to establishing a Justice40 Advisory group to help guide the development of the PCAP and CCAP, the project team will assess each proposed GHG reduction strategy based on the benefits to low-income and disadvantaged communities (LIDAC).
Putting the Plan into Action
In addition to funding planning processes, under the Climate Pollution Reduction Grant (CPRG) program, the EPA has released Implementation Grants for eligible local, regional, state, and tribal governments to implement strategies and measures to reduce climate pollution. The Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) was released on September 20th, and applications are due on April 1st, 2024. In addition to these grants, there are many federal opportunities across a wide range of topics including clean energy, energy efficiency, transportation, environmental justice, and more, that may be helpful during the implementation phase of this project.
For more information on federal grant programs:
- EPA CPRG Website: Climate Pollution Reduction Grants | US EPA
- MAPC’s Federal Grants Hub: Federal Funding Opportunities Center – MAPC
If you’re interested in technical assistance and support on federal grant opportunities, please contact us at: CleanEnergy@Mapc.org
Ways to Get Involved
To sign up for regular updates and the Metro Boston Regional Climate Action Plan Newsletter click here.
For more information, questions, or to get involved in the region’s Climate Action Plan please contact us at CPRG@mapc.org.
Committees and Advisory Groups
MAPC is collaborating closely with partners across the region to develop the plan.
- Regional Planning Agency (RPA) Steering Committee: Comprised of the regional planning agencies within the MSA, this committee will help guide the planning process and lead stakeholder engagement activities within each RPA region.
- Municipal Advisory Group: Comprised of municipal staff and representatives, this group will provide key input and feedback during key milestones of the PCAP and CCAP.
- Justice 40 Advisory Group: Comprised of community-based organizations and non-profits, this group will provide key input and feedback during key milestones of the PCAP and CCAP.
Past Events
Greater Boston Climate Action Plan
Listening Session Nov. 14, 2023
MAPC hosted the first listening session on the Greater Boston Climate Action Plan, funded by EPA Climate Pollution Reduction Grant. The session included an overview of the planning process and small break-out rooms for discussion.