Cambridge Signs on to Climate Change Memorandum Alongside Boston, Copenhagen

CAMBRIDGE, MA - Last week, Cambridge officials joined leadership from Boston and Copenhagen to sign an agreement to collaborate to combat climate change and build resilient cities.

Cambridge City Manager Louis A. DePasqule, alongside Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh and Morten Kabell, Copenhagen’s Mayor of Technical and Environmental Affairs signed the The Memorandum of Collaboration, which will focus on establishing best practices for improving energy efficiency, promoting low-carbon energy production, encouraging sustainable transportation and other topics through joint events and regular communication between environmental planners in the three cities.

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“We look forward to collaborating with the City of Boston and the City of Copenhagen to combat climate change,” said DePasquale in a statement. “In addition to furthering Cambridge’s goal to achieve carbon neutrality by mid-century, the exchange of ideas, best practices, and innovative strategies will enable us to promote environmental sustainability on a local and international level.”

Following the signing, several Cambridge officials outlined some of the green initiatives currently active in the city. Susanne Rasmussen, Director of Environmental & Transportation Planning for the City of Cambridge, discussed Cambridge’s long term strategy to reach carbon neutrality. Energy Planner Seth Federspiel described Cambridge’s Net Zero Action Plan, which includes a set of strategies for dramatically reducing greenhouse gas emissions from building operations, as well as the city’s zero waste plan and efforts to eliminate emissions from the transportation sector.

Additionally, Environmental Planner John Bolduc explained results from Cambridge’s recently completed Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment - including the city’s vulnerabilities to increasing temperatures and precipitation as well as rising sea levels and coastal storm surges - and described how the assessment is informing current efforts to develop a climate change preparedness plan.

“Cambridge has long been at the forefront of addressing climate change, and we look forward to working closely with sustainability pioneers in Boston and Copenhagen as we share our challenges and successes,” said Iram Farooq, Assistant City Manager for Community Development. “We hope that the collaboration’s sustainability initiatives will resonate on local, regional, and international levels.”

For more information about the City of Cambridge’s climate & energy initiatives, visit http://www.cambridgema.gov/CDD/climateandenergy.