Mayor Martin Walsh along with 14 other metro mayors in the Greater Boston area are working together to lower carbon emissions and prepare for climate change, as demonstrated from their collective participation in a climate change summit in Boston last month, according to a press release.
Mayors and city- and town managers from Boston, Braintree, Brookline, Cambridge, Chelsea, Everett, Malden, Melrose, Medford, Newton, Quincy, Revere, Somerville and Winthrop met at the UMass Club in Boston to discuss and analyze the vulnerabilities of the Boston region to a changing climate. They also created a mitigation commitment, which the Mayor’s Office describes as similar to the recent Paris Climate Accord.
“As cities, our work together is critical to building healthy, resilient communities in the face of climate change and Boston is ready to carry the torch alongside our regional partners,” said Walsh, according to the press release. “We’re proud to be a member of this strong network and will continue to prioritize climate progress as long as it affects the people of Boston.”
The 14 local leaders are members of the Metropolitan Mayors Coalition (MMC), a regional collaborative that aims to solve problems across municipal boundaries. Last year, the MMC adopted the Metro Boston Climate Preparedness Commitment, which resulted in a task force to guide regional climate decisions.
“It’s only natural that our cities are coming together again to address what is perhaps our generation’s greatest challenge: climate change. Our cities work well together on many shared issues — from snow clearing to safety — and we are forming a model for cross-border action on climate change,” said Somerville Mayor Joseph Curtatone, according to the press release. “Even in the face of climate threats — and wavering national commitments — the future of our region is bright if we focus on preparing for change and moving toward clean, efficient development.”
For more information, visit www.mapc.org.