Metro Mayors Coalition Hosts Regional Climate Summit

May 29, 2024 – Mayors and managers from 17 municipalities in the Greater Boston region gathered at the Museum of Science in Boston on Monday, May 12 to commit to regional climate goals for the next ten years. 

The Metropolitan Mayors Coalition (MMC), which includes Arlington, Boston, Braintree, Brookline, Cambridge, Chelsea, Everett, Lynn, Malden, Melrose, Medford, Newton, Quincy, Revere, Somerville, Watertown, and Winthrop, originally signed climate commitments in 2015, marking the formation of the MMC’s Climate Preparedness Task Force. Over the past 10 years, the MMC has: built out the inter-governmental Climate Taskforce to increase municipal capacity, coordination, and collaboration; adopted a regional “Net-Zero by 2050” goal; implemented hundreds of policies and actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions; and developed a first-of-its kind Regional Heat Preparedness and Adaptation Plan. A detailed overview of the Taskforce’s work since 2015 can be found here.

Legislative, regional, and state leaders joined the mayors and managers at the 2025 Regional Climate Summit in committing to the vital tasks of building a more resilient and sustainable region. The summit included speeches by and panels with Senator Ed Markey; Secretary of the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs Rebecca Tepper; Department of Public Utilities Commissioner Staci Rubin; Mayor of Boston Michelle Wu; and other guests, which marked the pivotal moment for investing in climate action while celebrating the Coalition’s 10 years of successes.

The mayors and managers also formally signed the new commitment, envisioning a net zero region by 2050 and outlining actions to partner with the state to achieve 50 percent emissions reductions by 2030.

About the 2025 Climate Commitment:

During the Climate Summit, the Coalition formally signed a renewed climate commitment, signaling their dedication to the collective goals of reducing GHG emissions and better preparing the region for the impacts of climate change through investment in regional infrastructure and resilience.

Through the Commitment, MMC members agree to work towards:

• Improved Energy Infrastructure: advocate for a grid that is prepared to support our electrification and clean energy goals, including for energy infrastructure that is sited and built to meet our climate goals, while also sharing the regional burden and addressing the legacy of environmental injustice.
• Adapted and Prepared Critical Infrastructure: advocate for state and federal funding and authority to safeguard critical infrastructure, such as the Island End food distribution center, and to upgrade key assets like the Amelia Earhart and Charles River Dams, which have economic and safety impacts across our region.
• Affordable Housing and Energy: all residents deserve homes that are prepared for the changing climate and remain committed to the Metro Mayors’ Housing Task Force commitment to build 185,000 new homes by 2030, along with advocating for programs that reduce energy costs and provide consumer protection.
• Resilient Transportation Networks: work to ensure a robust, resilient, and reliable transportation system- including improvements in public transit, electric vehicles, and active transportation.

Read the full 2025 Climate Commitment here.

The commitment signing earned significant media coverage, with several reporters in attendance at the event. Samples of articles include the CommonWealth Beacon - “Greater Boston municipal leaders recommit to climate goals,” WGBH - “Local leaders recommit to regional response to climate crisis,” WBZ Radio - “Greater Boston Mayors Reaffirm Climate Agreement,” and The Bay State Banner - “Metro Boston municipal leaders sign new climate commitment amid Trump rollbacks.”

For more information about the Regional Climate Summit and to view photos from the event visit: mapc.org/resource-library/mmc-climate-summit/.