Legislation includes criteria in statute that defines environmental justice populations
From Wicked Local Waltham
As the effects of the COVID-19 health crisis continues to evolve, State Reps. Thomas Stanley and John Lawn helped pass legislation building on the Statehouse’s continued commitment to “address the effects of climate change” by requiring the commonwealth to achieve net-zero statewide greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
The legislation, An Act Creating a 2050 Roadmap to a Clean and Thriving Commonwealth (H. 4933), establishes the criteria in statute that define environmental justice populations. The legislation also increases support for clean energy workforce development programs, improves access to renewable energy and energy efficiency programs for low-income communities and requires the state to increase its use of renewable resources for its electricity needs.
“This comprehensive climate legislation puts the commonwealth well on the way to not only doing that but also puts us on the path to a cleaner, safer state,” said Stanely. “The bill also includes historic environmental justice components, which will protect some of our most important communities from being neglected by harmful projects.”
“Despite the ongoing public health and economic hardships relating to the COVID-19 pandemic, the house is committed [to] maintaining Massachusetts’ nation-leading clean energy and climate policies,” said Lawn. “The legislation builds on the house’s long-standing commitment to effective and lasting climate change policy and fulfills Speaker DeLeo’s and the house’s January pledge to pass 2050 greenhouse gas emissions net zero limits during the 2019-20 legislative session.”
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