Looking for information on MAPC’s official meetings and legal notices? Find it here.
The next deadline for the 2021 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) voting cycle is coming up on September 23rd and we want to make sure you have the tools and information you need to complete your voter validation and to get ready for the vote itself. MAPC is hosting a webinar on Tuesday, August 20th from 12:30 to 1:30 PM. Please join us to hear about the next steps in the voting process and other updates on Codes for Climate efforts locally and nation-wide!
MAPC is working to make our building code better for the climate, healthy and safe for the people living and working in buildings, and more energy-efficient. Buildings account for approximately one-third of our GHG emissions as a state. By constructing and retrofitting these structures in a more energy-efficient manner, we will not only improve our climate, but also enhance the quality of life of our residents. To learn more about how MAPC is supporting our municipalities to improve the building code, visit our Codes for Climate page.
To preserve our communities and create opportunity for future generations, we must eliminate carbon emissions and green our cities and towns. We also must advance equity, resilience, public health, and economic growth.
How do we align those critical needs for mutual benefit? That’s the question the MAPC Clean Energy Forum will dig into on December 11. Join us!
Light breakfast and beverages will be served. Further event details to come!
Learn more about MetroCommon 2050, Greater Boston’s next regional plan: https://metrocommon.mapc.org.
NOTICE OF POSTPONEMENT
Dear Friends of MAPC:
Out of an abundance of caution, MAPC has decided to postpone the Winter Council Meeting scheduled for tomorrow (Tuesday, March 10) in Framingham. Over the next few days, we will assess the situation and decide how to reschedule the Council Meeting and Legislative Panel on Housing, Transportation, and Climate. We will consider rescheduling as a virtual event, which will provide Council members and allies the opportunity to learn the latest about what is going on at the State House, without having to participate in a crowded event that might make some people uncomfortable.
I realize we sent out a note earlier this morning reminding people about the Council Meeting, and I apologize if this update causes any confusion. Still, we feel the wisest course is to postpone the meeting, and to reschedule in a different format.
Please stay tuned, and stay safe!
Best regards,
Marc Draisen
Executive Director
Join MAPC to learn how to use our new Community Greenhouse Gas Inventory Tool and Step-by-Step Guide. This virtual training will help municipal staff and volunteers understand the basics of developing a GHG inventory, where they can go to gather the data for their community, and how to understand the data once you’ve completed the Tool.
Solar Remote Permitting & Inspection Best Practices: COVID-19 Impacts and Long-Term Potential
Please join MassCEC, MAPC, and SolSmart to learn about best practices on remote permitting and inspection during COVID-19, and the long-term potential of those practices. The webinar will feature guest speakers from three Massachusetts communities; Gardner, Brockton, and Lowell. If you have questions regarding registration, please contact solar@masscec.com.
Register here: https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/7565282524044732684
MAPC and Groundwork USA invite municipal and agency staff, community organizations and members, and renewable energy developers to join a virtual workshop on the potential of Brownfields to Brightfields (B2B) to advance equitable community development. B2B projects repurpose brownfields sites – land with known or potential hazardous substances, pollutants, or contaminants – with solar energy installations on ground-mounted arrays, building rooftops, or canopy structures.
This workshop will share findings on models for B2B projects that advance equity and community benefits, highlighting real-world examples, challenges, and opportunities. Participants will learn about a new mapping tool for identifying potential B2B sites in Massachusetts and have the opportunity to lay the groundwork for future B2B project partnerships.
Download Agenda
This project was made possible with support from EPA’s Office of Brownfields and Land Revitalization. The event is free and preregistration is required. Register here and contact Julie Curti (jcurti@mapc.org) or Adi Nochur (adi@groundworkusa.org) with any questions.
Join to hear Jacqueline Patterson, Director of Environmental and Climate Justice Program at the NAACP, discuss the intersection of climate resiliency and racial justice.
MAPC’s Clean Energy Department is hosting its first webinar in a series about what centering equity in municipal-level clean energy and climate planning and implementation can look like. This first event will provide an introduction to equity in climate planning, followed by presentations and a panel discussion with three guest speakers who have worked on equitable climate planning in their municipalities:
• Emily Koo, Director of Sustainability, City of Providence
• Shayna Hirshfield-Gold, Climate Program Manager, City of Oakland
• Ibrahim Lopez-Hernandez, Sustainability Manager, City of Chelsea and Revere, Town of Winthrop
There will then be an opportunity for Q&A with attendees.
Stay tuned for information about the additional sessions in the webinar series!
The Metropolitan Area Planning Council’s (MAPC) Clean Energy Department is hosting a webinar on equitable community engagement for its Equity in Clean Energy webinar series. This event will provide an introduction to equitable community engagement in planning, followed by brief introductions from each of our guest speakers and the community engagement work they do in their communities. We will be joined by:
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- Niri Kumar, Natick Resident
- Marlees Owayda, Cambridge Community Engagement Manager
- Lindsay Diaz, Cambridge Community Engagement Team Co-Leader
- Gail Latimore, Executive Director, CSNDC – Codman Square Neighborhood Development Corporation
Questions? Please contact:
Francelis Morillo Suarez
fmorillosuarez@mapc.org
Join us for an informational webinar about the next round of MAPC’s Accelerating Climate Resilience Municipal Grants which is launching the Invitation for Proposals on August 15!
MAPC is launching this next round to help advance strategies that protect people, places, and communities from the impacts of climate change.
Register for the informational webinar
For more information about the ACR grant program, please visit the program webpage.