Somerville was recently recognized as a global leader in the fight against climate change. The Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) ranked Somerville as one of just 95 cities around the globe working transparently to stave off the effects of climate change in 2021.
Somerville Mayor Katjana Ballantyne stressed the importance of climate action in her inaugural address earlier this month.
“We face unprecedented pressures to act boldly and swiftly on climate change,” she said. “My administration will get straight to work on environmental sustainability and climate change initiatives. I have two daughters, and, like many of you, the world they will inherit from us is a huge concern for me.”
Ballantyne, who proposed Somerville’s Green New Deal in 2019, has revealed that her environmental goals for the city include electrifying infrastructure like buildings and vehicles, creating more green space and supporting green jobs in Somerville.
Action items on Ballantyne’s 100-Day Agenda include establishing a Climate Justice Summer Youth Jobs Program, setting a goal to create the most ecologically restorative city landscape in the region and increasing equal access within the Blue Bikes bike-share program.
