Boston Climate Leader Awards

WinnCompanies has set a new standard for sustainable affordable housing by implementing deep energy retrofits and fossil-fuel-free construction across Environmental Justice neighborhoods, ensuring low-income residents benefit from increased comfort and reduced energy burdens.

Working towards portfolio-wide decarbonization for their 1,200 housing units, Dorchester Bay Economic Development Corporation recent investment in rooftop solar installations is projected to offset 3.5 million kilograms of carbon dioxide over 25 years. 

Yve Torrie established what is now known as the PowerCorps Building Operations track, creating essential career pathways for young adults while providing the building industry with the skilled workforce needed to meet ambitious energy reduction goals. 

IT’S ELECTRIC is accelerating Boston’s transition to zero-emission mobility by deploying compact, curbside EV chargers designed specifically for dense neighborhoods, removing the primary barrier to EV adoption for residents without private driveways

The Green Energy Consumers Alliance addresses climate justice, supports local community aggregation programs, and informs residents across Greater Boston about energy alternatives, affordability, and positive change campaigns

Bob Biggio has pioneered a national model for sustainable healthcare by integrating green infrastructure, such as solar arrays, rooftop farms, and a cogeneration power plant into Boston Medical Center’s operations, reinvesting millions in saved utility costs back into patient care. 

Business/Institution: New England Aquarium

A global leader in ocean conservation, the New England Aquarium invests in cutting-edge scientific research, informs policy decisions and industry practices related to ocean conservation, and educates and inspires over 1 million visitors annually. 

Community Group: Boston Food Forest Coalition

The Boston Food Forest Coalition is protecting land, increasing tree canopy, and increasing green space equity by transforming vacant lots in historically under-invested neighborhoods into public edible food forests.  

Individual: Mela Bush-Miles, Coordinator of Transit Equity & Environmental Justice, Action for Equity

For decades, Mela Bush-Miles has led the charge for clean air and transit equity in Environmental Justice communities, spearheading the Clean Buses for Boston campaign and serving as a pivotal force behind the electrification of the Fairmount-Indigo Line. 

Business/Institution: Mass General Brigham

As the largest employer in Massachusetts, Mass General Brigham advances community resilience through intentional healthcare and strategic investments in climate-ready infrastructure, including two new facilities built to withstand environmental hazards while doubling as public emergency shelters. 

Community Group: Wharf District Council

Serving as a unifier for waterfront residents and businesses, the Wharf District Council has spearheaded climate advocacy by developing a Conceptual Climate Resiliency Masterplan that features a 1.5-mile flood barrier designed to protect the downtown waterfront from sea-level rise while preserving its historic character. 

Individual: Dr. Patricia Fabian, Boston University

Dr. Fabian’s data-driven research and collaborative leadership in environmental health has directly advanced resilience, equity and public health policy within Boston’s schools and frontline communities.

Business/Institution: Benjamin Franklin Cummings Institute of Technology

Through their Center for Energy Efficiency and the Trades, FC Tech is building a diverse pool of innovative thinkers to fill specialized roles that support the advancement of green technologies such as heat pumps, sustainable buildings, and electric power generation.

Community Group: Mystic River Watershed Association and the Museum of Science

Through collaborative projects like Wicked Hot Boston and Wicked Hot Mystic, the Mystic River Watershed Association and the Museum of Science are providing foundational data needed to address extreme heat as a critical environmental justice issue. 

Individual: Dr. Katie Dafforn, Director of the Stone Living Lab and Professor of Coastal Resilience at UMass Boston

Dr. Dafforn is reimagining Boston’s coastline by installing habitat panels on existing seawall infrastructure to enhance marine biodiversity, improve water quality, and reduce coastal erosion.