For immediate release: Thursday, March 18, 2021
BOSTON—The Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) today released the following statement regarding the Massachusetts Legislature’s passage of the climate bill, An Act Creating a Next-Generation Roadmap for Massachusetts Climate Policy (S.30).
“MAPC applauds the Massachusetts Senate and House votes this week to pass legislation that would move our state closer to net zero emissions by the middle of this century.
We are very encouraged by the ways in which this bill has been strengthened and updated over the past two months and applaud the bolder environmental justice protections it includes. The climate crisis threatens all of us, and this bill will help craft a brighter future for every resident of the state – especially our most vulnerable residents.
“We are particularly excited to see that the bill would create an opt-in net zero building energy code pathway that would enable new buildings to be more resilient, healthier, and better for the climate. Importantly, the bill would also set interim and sector-specific greenhouse gas emissions limits and improve the Mass Save program to better support electrification and workforce development. It would further strengthen the climate considerations reviewed during the ‘MEPA’ process, which evaluates the environmental consequences of proposed large developments.
We thank the Legislature for their overwhelming support of the bill this week, including the House vote that took place just today, and look forward to it moving to the Governor’s desk quickly to be signed into law.”