Mayor Michelle Wu joined Green New Deal Director Oliver Sellers-Garcia, the Operations Cabinet and local climate, and labor advocates to sign An Executive Order (EO) Eliminating the Use of Fossil Fuels in New Construction and Major Renovations of City Buildings. On hand for the July 31st signing was Jackie Royce, co-founder of Boston Green Action and Ward 4’s champion of climate activism.
According to the press release issued by the City of Boston, “Mayor Wu is demonstrating her commitment to accelerating climate action by requiring that all new municipal buildings and major renovations operate without fossil fuels, reducing emissions from Boston’s building sector while creating high-quality jobs, improving public heath and quality or life, and advancing racial and economic justice.
Mayor Wu previously announced her intention to draft and sign this EO during her 2023 State of the City Address. The functions of the EO will take immediate effect, exempting projects currently in procurement, design, or construction. This Executive Order puts in place a clear path to decarbonizing the City’s building portfolio. As the owner of over 16 million square feet of property, the City’s commitment to fossil fuel free buildings will add substantial demand to the many trades and professions that are part of the green building ecosystem. The City will lead by example with its own buildings, and will contribute to the creation of new jobs in the building trades as well as building design and maintenance. expanding local opportunities to strengthen workforce development programs. apprenticeships and other training pipelines for Boston residents to gain access to high-quality employment in the building sector.”
