OPINION: Next steps crucial on Massachusetts’ new climate law
State Sen. Mike Barrett
Bill signing for the “Act Creating a Next-Generation Roadmap for Massachusetts Climate Policy” took place in the library of the State House, otherwise empty due to the pandemic.
“I have heard words used to describe this piece of legislation, words such as sweeping, landmark, far-reaching, ambitious, bold and nation-leading,” said Senate President Karen Spilka. “I believe it is all of these things.”
Well put. We’re the first state to keep attention riveted on climate by setting emissions limits every five years instead of every 10. The first state to mandate emissions sublimits on the most important sources of greenhouse gases transportation, buildings and electric power. The first state to overhaul the charter of its electric power and natural gas regulator to include, alongside price and system reliability, reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.
Wicked Local
There’s a new climate act in town! Gov. Charlie Baker signed a hard-fought climate bill into law on March 26, laying out the next steps in Massachusetts’ plans to shrink greenhouse gas emissions, create greener jobs and prioritize environmental equity. An Act Creating a Next Generation Roadmap for Massachusetts Climate Policy provides an important update to climate policy following Massachusetts’ landmark 2008 Global Warming Solutions Act and other updates. The new law also makes many changes to 2018’s Chapter 21N: Climate Protection and Green Economy Act, among other legislation.
If, as the saying goes, You can t improve what you don t measure, this bill will go some distance in improving emissions. Reporting requirements include periodic statements on how the commonwealth is progressing toward statewide greenhouse gas emissions (reductions) toward the goal of “net zero. This means the total amount of greenhouse gases we put into the atmosphere mus
While much attention has been paid to the ambitious climate
change
mitigation requirements in An Act Creating a Next-Generation Roadmap for
Massachusetts Climate Policy, the comprehensive climate change legislation
recently signed by Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker, there are a
number of initiatives underway at the state and local level to
target the Commonwealth s anticipated need for climate change
adaptation.
This Holland & Knight alert provides a brief introductory
overview highlighting some of these efforts. A series of alerts and
blog posts to follow will analyze each of these initiatives in
further detail, focusing on the potential implications for real
estate development and permitting in Massachusetts.
April 6, 2021
A specialized opt-in stretch code is being developed by Massachusetts to empowering local municipalities to achieve net-zero by 2050.
In late March, Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker signed a landmark climate bill, An Act Creating a Next Generation Roadmap for the Massachusetts Climate Policy, into law. This law raises the state’s climate ambition by setting the emissions targets at 50 percent reduction by 2030 and net-zero emissions by 2050. It also provides a new tool for Massachusetts communities to help achieve these targets in an equitable and focused way a municipal opt-in stretch energy code with a net-zero buildings provision.
This opt-in stretch code represents a major win for Massachusetts municipalities after several setbacks in the last year, including the attorney general’s disapproval of Brookline’s bylaw prohibiting fossil fuels in new buildings and Baker s vetoing an earlier version of this bill in January. Following the bill’s reintroduc
On March 26, 2021, Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker signed Chapter 8 of the Acts of 2021, An Act Creating a Next-Generation Roadmap for Massachusetts Climate Policy, into law, cementing the Commonwealth's status .