Enhancing Climate Resilience and Green Spaces

In Boston, we experience the effects of climate change on a daily basis. Rising sea levels, hotter days, and stronger storms pose a threat to our communities, open spaces, infrastructure, and buildings. To increase the livability of our neighborhoods, we are investing in cooling our streets, reducing stormwater flooding, and supporting the final implementation of Boston’s wetlands ordinance. The FY25 Budget will also enhance climate resilience across Boston while supporting the lives of our residents with investments in such as: 

• $100,000 additional funding to support emergency preparedness and response for climate related emergencies
• $100,000 to update the City’s Climate Action Plan
• $1.6 million allocated for retrofits to incorporate green infrastructure features into our street construction projects to improve stormwater management and heat island impacts
• $2.2 million to identify feasible solutions to reduce the City’s vulnerability to coastal flooding 
• $75 million for capital funding to leverage state and federal resources in planning and construction of a resilient coastline.  

At the same time, the City's aims to upgrade our existing building stock to support the goal of achieving net zero emissions by 2050. The FY25 budget continues to fund the implementation of the Building Emissions Reduction and Disclosure Ordinance, which will reduce air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions generated by large buildings in Boston. The budget also provides funding to add decarbonization strategies to the Mayor's Office of Housing's existing home repair program.

The FY25-29 Capital budget includes significant investment in the creation of energy-efficient buildings. The Mayor's Office of Housing will continue the $50 million project to retrofit Boston Housing Authority sites. These improvements will include electrifying HVAC systems, replacing natural gas stoves and appliances, and electrifying other energy systems to reduce these sites' carbon footprint. The Renew Boston Trust program and Public Facilities Department continue to implement energy retrofits in new and existing schools and municipal buildings to ensure all major renovations are compliant with the Fossil Fuel Free Executive Order.