Climate Action Plan, An Ongoing Story

At the November 16, 2009 Special Town Meeting, members overwhelmingly passed a resolution (Article 6 of the Warrant for Special Town Meeting) to reduce Belmont’s carbon dioxide emissions using the CAP as a reference guide.

Sustainable Belmont spearheaded the effort to develop a Climate Action Plan (CAP) for the Belmont community. The goal of a CAP is twofold: to measure the amount of heat-trapping emissions generated by an entity, and to then implement strategies to reduce these emissions. As these strategies are implemented, emissions are measured again to assess the effectiveness of the actions taken. CAPs have been adopted by towns and cities, large and small, around the world. In Massachusetts, many municipalities have created or are in the process of creating a CAP.

The resolution passed by Town Meeting called for the formation of an Energy Committee, which is now a permanent Town Committee. The Committee, comprised of volunteers, are appointed by the Board of Selectmen and work with the entire Belmont community on strategies to reduce our collective carbon footprint 80% by 2050. They use the CAP as a reference guide and are to give an annual assessment to the Belmont Board of Selectmen on progress made toward the reduction goal.

Ongoing discussions about the CAP and its implementation are essential to its success. We encourage all town residents, business owners, policy makers, and others to read the draft (or parts of it as time and interest allow) and continue to provide us with feedback on the plan and implementation. All feedback will remain anonymous.

Download the Belmont CAP
Additional ways of learning about the CAP

We welcome feedback on whatever parts of the CAP you have time and interest to read.

  • To send private feedback, email sustainablebelmont@gmail.com. Please note the section, page, and paragraph that you are referencing.
  • If you’re interested in hosting or attending a neighborhood coffee to discuss the CAP and its implementation, please contact sustainablebelmont@gmail.com.

*originally written in 2009