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Lincoln’s Climate Action Plan

 

Climate Action Lincoln, a subcommittee of the Green Energy Committee,

 is charged with developing a Climate Action Plan

 

What is a Climate Action Plan? 

Climate Action Plans set goals and develop actions to mitigate emissions, adapt to environmental changes, and increase resilience. They address these interconnected issues of the climate crisis:

  • Electrification with renewable energy to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions 

  • Furthering environmental justice and supporting vulnerable populations 

  • Safeguarding public health

  • Creating sustainable and resilient infrastructure

  • Protecting and regenerating ecological systems, including back yards, forests, open space, farms and wetlands. 

 

How does a Climate Action Plan help Lincoln reduce emissions? 

A Climate Action Plan coordinates and recommends municipal, commercial, and residential actions necessary for Lincoln to reach net zero GHG emissions by 2050, as outlined in the Act Creating a Next Generation Roadmap for Massachusetts Climate Policy. It addresses many sectors in Lincoln, including the built environment, transportation, energy production, waste, water, and land use. 

 

Next steps

Town-wide participation was critical to developing a Climate Action Plan that set concrete goals to achieve results. In Lincoln, residential behavior will be crucial to the success of a plan as the Town has a very small amount of commercial and municipal properties.  

 

The year-long, collaborative process of developing a plan included:

  • Visioning: Engagement of all residents and stakeholders in town

  • Data: Energy use, GHG emissions, carbon storage

  • Analysis: Vulnerable populations, housing, infrastructure, transportation 

  • Goals: Align with state and federal goals; interpret for residents 

  • Implementation: Timelines, accountable parties, measurement

  • Financial implications: for the Town budget.

In 2023 the Town secured a grant from the Municipal Vunerabilities Preparedness program for technical assistance from MAPC in writing Lincoln's Comprehensive Climate Action Plan. 

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The Select Board voted to "Accept" the Plan at their February 5, 2024 meeting. Implementation of Lincoln's Climate Action Plan follows. 

 

Climate Action Lincoln members:

Sue Klem – Chair, Roy Harvey, Emily Haslett, Ed Kern, Staci Montori, Rachel Neurath, Lynne Smith 

Jennifer Curtin, Assistant Director of Planning and Land Use

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