Climate Congress Has Three New Proposals

After failing to reach a consensus at its second meeting in January, the Cambridge Climate Congress passed three proposals Saturday with recommendations addressing environmental challenges.

The 50 delegates that gathered in City Hall voted overwhelmingly in favor of passing the proposals, which ranged from creating infrastructure to hiring a point person to direct the city’s sustainability efforts.

Cambridge Mayor David P. Maher applauded the Congress’s initiative at the grassroots level to push through proposals for concrete steps the city can take.

“In order to be successful, you have to have a give and take with the city and the residents,” Maher said. “The city has the resources, but the drive has to come from the residents.”

The 13-member drafting committee spent the last month revising their recommendations after delegates voted to postpone a final vote at the previous session.

The first proposal, which was added since the last meeting, focused on creating infrastructure to integrate environmental efforts across diverse community groups and neighborhoods.

The other two suggested climate initiatives for the city—including setting annual energy efficiency goals and partnering with local businesses to encourage sustainable practices.

The proposed creation of a chief sustainability officer was met with the most enthusiasm, and Maher said he believes this recommendation is the most likely to be passed by the city government.

The Congress will also be sending the City Council a list of specific suggestions, such as establishing tax-incentives for energy-efficient upgrades and revamping environmental education.

Maher said that despite the city’s tough financial situation, he is working with coordinators of the Congress to integrate some of the proposals into the ongoing budgeting process.

After voting on the proposals, the delegates split into working groups to discuss specific city-wide projects, including installing solar panels on public buildings and creating a more sustainable transportation policy.

John Pitkin, a member of the drafting and planning committee, said that these working groups will be largely responsible for implementing plans at the community level.

His fellow delegate Steve Morr-Wineman agreed that Cambridge residents will play a key role in effecting actual change in the city.

“[It’s] a mistake to come out and wait for the council to take action,” Morr-Wineman said. “We need a public ground swell to make something happen. On the other hand we can’t let the city off the hook.”

—Staff writer Stephanie B. Garlock can be reached at sgarlock@college.harvard.edu.

—Staff writer Natasha S. Whitney can be reached at nwhitney@fas.harvard.edu.