Mayor Ballantyne opened the meeting by describing the climate action progress that Somerville has already begun and the city’s goals for the upcoming years.
“We can make Somerville a national leader, a national model for climate resilience, connecting our environmental efforts with the city work on housing with the economy and social justice,” Ballantyne said.
She described how Somerville is already ahead of the curve, being “one of the first communities in the country to set a goal to be carbon negative by 2050.”
Ballantyne also described the goals she has for the city in the coming year. Her administration is laying out an action plan in 2023, which would — according to Ballantyne — focus on those residents of the city that are the “most likely to bear the brunt of climate change impacts.”
Ballantyne believes that a specific reduction factor crucial for reaching this goal is green transportation.
“We need to continue making sustainable transit the safe, easy choice for getting around,” Ballantyne said.
