Climate Justice

The CHNA9 acknowledges the interconnectedness of climate change, biodiversity loss and environmental/social justice and supports policies that prevent further increases in global temperatures, that decrease land degradation and the catastrophic loss of biodiversity, and that prioritize addressing impacts on and involvement with historically marginalized and oppressed communities. Policies include those that:

  • Instigate and promote community efforts to identify climate adaptation and mitigation as critical for future wellbeing
  • Assist our communities, businesses, and organizations in developing plans and programs to reach the 2030 and 2050 Goals outlined by the Commonwealth
  • Reduce emissions from all forms of fossil fuel as well as mass burning of biomass
  • Promote increased tree canopy coverage in urban areas to mitigate heat island effects; filter and clean water and air; and create safe spaces that promote mental health and well-being
  • Increase affordable access and equity in clean energy solutions including community-based systems which can benefit renters and low-income residents.
  • Policies that require renewable energy systems to be sited on disturbed or built environments rather than natural landscapes and which provide clear benefits to our region including the use of local labor and access to the energy savings produced by the projects.

Legislation

Act Promoting Drinking Water Quality for All

An Act Promoting Drinking Water Quality for All (bill numbers S.482 and H.902) aims to provide protections for households who rely on private wells for their drinking water. This bill would enable the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) to develop a set of health-based regulations which would provide statewide water quality standards for private drinking water wells.

Climate and Community Resilience Fund

The Climate and Community Resilience Fund (SB.472/HB.750) would:

  • Establish the Climate and Community Resilience Trust Fund (the Fund), dedicated to equitably supporting solutions for residents and communities that address the causes and impacts of climate change.
  • Focus support for community-identified planning and implementation of climate solutions, particularly in communities disproportionately burdened by environmental injustices and with significant populations of low-income people and people of color, in particular Black, Indigenous, or Latinx people.
  • Create an independent board to make transparent decisions on how to prioritize, allocate, and equitably administer the Fund, with two-thirds of members representing community-based organizations and support from the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs and Office of the Climate Chief.
  • Generate long-term, sustainable revenue for the Fund by establishing a fee on property insurance while minimizing the financial burden on environmental justice populations.

Did you miss the community conversation with Climate Chief Melissa Hoffer? Watch it via Video Player.