The goals for Somerville’s climate action plan were reaffirmed by the City Council at their latest meeting.

By Harry Kane

The Somerville City Council reaffirmed its support for Somerville’s climate action plan that aims to deal with coastal and stormwater flooding, extreme heat events, and other escalating consequences of human-caused climate change that may endanger life and property.

A resolution was approved to continue progress on the goals and strategies of the Climate Forward 2024 plan for reduced climate pollution and dependence on fossil fuels during the November 25 city council meeting.

“Somerville is a leader with our climate priorities,” said City Councilor Wilfred N. Mbah. “At our state level, we are watching major debates unfold about affordability, clean energy, and the future of climate commitments.”

The Climate Forward 2024 plan “establishes priorities and strategies for implementation through 2035,” according to the resolution. The updated version of the plan builds on the aspirations and the successes of the first climate forward plan from 2018.

“Here in Somerville, we have always been clear about who we are and what we stand for,” said Councilor Mbah. “So, we believe the climate crisis is real. We believe that clean energy transition can and must be equitable, and we believe that affordability and climate action are not competing priorities.”

Mitigating, adapting, and alleviating climate-related problems across different sectors in Somerville is the basis for a progressive plan that harnesses the collaborative spirit and tests the resilience of the city’s ambitious goal.

Councilor Mbah said climate progress is facing “significant headwinds” on a national level, with some leaders questioning the rollback of longstanding environmental protections.

The Obama and Biden-era environmental policies have been reversed under the Trump administration’s climate policy. This has led to deregulation of the fossil fuel industry to boost the economy, thereby accelerating the climate crisis and endangering the health of communities.

“Many of our residents are hearing mixed messages and are understandably concerned about what this means for their families, their bills, and their future,” said Councilor Mbah.

Councilor Naima Sait said she feels it is essential, now more than ever, for leadership to act and set high standards.

“Our national government is overrun by the deadly corruption of the fossil fuel industry, and their lies,” said City Councilor Sait.

The commitment by the city to achieve carbon net-negative emissions by 2050, started in 2014 with the SustainaVille brand, is aligned with the Commonwealth’s Decarbonization Roadmap.

Christine Blais, Director of the Office of Sustainability and Environment (OSE) addressed the city council with a report on the climate action plan.

“We have a lot of data to create science-backed recommendations for how we can not only mitigate our emissions, but how we can adapt to our changing environment,” said Blais.

Approximately 50 percent of Somerville’s critical facilities and infrastructure are projected to be exposed to one or more climate hazards through 2070, according to a City of Somerville Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment.

Coastal flooding may affect Assembly Square, Union Square, and Davis Square with up to 10 feet of flooding by 2070 in a major storm, said Blais.