PARTNERS: Boston

In 2000, Boston became a Cities for Climate Protection participant through the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives. They received an intern through the Boston Health Commission to complete a greenhouse gas inventory.

Boston became a Clean Air-Cool Planet community partner in 2003 year. The City is currently in the process of creating a Local Action Plan on Greenhouse Gas Emissions that will be unveiled shortly. Last year, Boston announced plans to become the first City in the nation to amend its building codes to incorporate environmentally-friendly building standards for new private development in excess of 50,000 square feet. Learn more from the New York Times.

The following are actions the City of Boston has taken that will reduce greenhouse gas emission while saving taxpayers money and sustaining a vibrant local economy.

Since 2000, the City of Boston has:

· Integrated Energy Management Plan for municipal buildings

· LEED Silver for renovation and new construction of all City facilities

· Incorporation of green guidelines into Department of Neighborhood Development notices of funding availability

· “LEED-certifiability” for projects undergoing Article 80 review by Boston Redevelopment Authority (BRA)

· [in development] Resource guide to provide “green” technical assistance to developers

· Demonstration green roof on the eighth- and ninth-floor balconies of City Hall

· Installation of LED traffic lights

· City procures approximately seven percent of its electricity from renewable sources

· Installation of PV systems in George Robert White Center at the Boston Nature Center, Mattapan and at a growing number of Boston public schools

· Active encouragement of the development of distributed generation (DG)

· Vehicle procurement policy that requires alternative fuel vehicles or vehicles with similar fuel economy

· Ultra low sulphur diesel and biodiesel for city diesel fleet

· Anti-idling campaign

· Retrofit of school bus fleet with pollution control equipment

Before the year 2000, Boston was already implementing the following action:

· Requirements for Transportation access plan agreements (TAPAs)—including transportation demand management (TDM) measures—for projects subject to review by the Boston Redevelopment Authority

· Parking programs—parking freezes in three areas of the city, residential parking sticker program, and on-street parking management—that work together to discourage commuters from driving into the city

· “Save gas. Walk Boston” campaign

· New pedestrian safety guidelines plus an aggressive three-year road and sidewalk repair project

· Expansion of bike trail network and inclusion of bicycle storage and bicycle rack provisions in TAPAs

· Aggressive recycling plan for household items and leaf and yard waste

· Zoning requirements that promote dense, mixed-use, and transit-related development

· Urban Wilds Initiative to protect city-owned urban wilds and other natural areas

· Wetlands conservation through Conservation Commission review

· Expansion of tree planting program