By Anthony Lucivero, Advocacy Fellow
The USGBC MA Chapter was proud to present the City of Cambridge’s Net Zero Action Plan at one of our newly re-branded “Policy Podium” gathering this morning. We had a great turn out from our community members, and this meeting of minds is a sign of great things to come. The presentation provoked excellent discussions between the audience and presenter Susanne Rasmussen, the Director of Environmental and Transportation Planning for the City of Cambridge.
Cambridge’s Net Zero Action Plan is grand in scope and ambition, with an Action Plan that spans the next 25 years. A unique factor in Cambridge is that one-third of its built environment is laboratories, making it difficult to plan for building-mounted solar panel installation. A key strategies, according to Ms. Rasmussen, was to design the Net Zero Action Plan as a ladder, allowing for incremental change that adds up to big improvements down the road. Cambridge's Net Zero Task Force has made it a priority to engage stakeholders to ensure that this detailed plan is practical and agreeable to all parties. Additionally, the Net Zero Action Plan has built-in review periods every five years, allowing for evaluation and rethinking strategies as new technologies and economic factors emerge.
Here are some photos from the event, and some slides from Susanne's presentation!
Click here to go to Cambridge Net Zero's official website to view documents and presentations about the Net Zero Action Plan, and click here to read press coverage!