Mayor Walsh announces City of Boston receives grant for climate change preparedness

Mayor Martin J. Walsh today announced that the City of Boston has received $350,000 in funding from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to support climate preparedness in Boston, as part of the state's Office of Coastal Zone Management's Coastal Community Resilience Grant Program. The grant will support the Boston Climate Preparedness Planning Initiative, a project led by the City's Office of Environment, Energy and Open Space in partnership with the Boston Green Ribbon Commission.

"Boston is keenly aware of its vulnerability to sea-level rise and the other effects of climate change," said Mayor Walsh. "We are working hard to reduce our emissions of greenhouse gases and ensure that we are prepared for the changes that we cannot prevent, as laid out in the Greenovate Boston Climate Action Plan that I released in January. I want to thank the Commonwealth for this grant, which will give a significant boost to our climate preparedness efforts."

The Boston Climate Preparedness Planning Initiative will generate critical solutions for resilient neighborhoods, infrastructure and governance that help the region thrive and grow in the face of long-term climate uncertainties. In particular, it will identify "critical resiliency focus areas" and develop an initial portfolio of concrete solutions for each area. Those solutions will span a broad range of possible types of interventions, including regulations, financial incentives, technical assistance, design standards and physical infrastructure projects. The project is a joint initiative of the City of Boston, the Boston Redevelopment Authority and the Boston Green Ribbon Commission.

"The grant awarded to the City of Boston will help city leaders and environmental officials proactively plan to protect citizens and infrastructure from the effects of climate change while working to improve coastal resiliency," said Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Matthew Beaton. "The Baker-Polito Administration is committed to working with communities like Boston to develop new, innovative and effective ways to address the pressing issue of an ever-changing climate."

"This grant is another milestone in the Walsh Administration's efforts to help protect and prepare our citizens for our changing climate," said Austin Blackmon, Chief of Environment, Energy and Open Space. "I look forward to continuing our strong partnership with Secretary Beaton and Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs."

In April 2014, the City also received a Coastal Community Resilience grant, which supported the Boston Living with Water Design Competition that sought design solutions envisioning a beautiful, vibrant and resilient Boston that is prepared for climate conditions and rising sea levels. Fifty teams composed of more than 340 individuals from eight different countries participated in the two-stage competition, which was a a joint project of the City of Boston, the Boston Redevelopment Authority, The Boston Harbor Association and the Boston Society of Architects.