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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. 

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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