Following its continued effort to be more environmentally sustainable and raise its climate change awareness, the City of Boston received international honors at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris Thursday.
The award for “Smart Cities and Smart Community Engagement” was presented to the city by the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group and secures the city’s position at the global forefront of climate action. Boston Mayor Martin Walsh emphasized the importance of this recognition of the city’s global environmental effort in a Thursday press release.
“I am proud that our efforts in Boston are being recognized on the global stage,” Walsh said in the release. “This award is a well-deserved honor for our entire community for our shared commitment to leaving a better Boston for the next generation.”
The C40 Cities Awards recognized more than 80 cities worldwide under 10 categories. Boston was awarded for its effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through its 2014 Updated Climate Action Plan, according to the release.
Carl Spector, commissioner of the environment department for the City of Boston, said the city was awarded specifically for it’s public engagement through the plan’s Greenovate Boston Initiative, a city-wide, collaborative effort to reduce Boston’s greenhouse gas emissions.
“Greenovate is a brand that unites all of the sustainability efforts of the city,” Spector said. “It’s also a program that focuses on community outreach involving neighborhoods, small and large businesses and climate action.”
Spector, who attended the award ceremony in Paris with three other Boston representatives, said the C40’s recognition of Boston as a global climate leader demonstrates how the Greenovate Boston Initiative has been “an outstanding example of this type of outreach.”
“We were, of course, very honored to receive this recognition from our peers and [the] C40 organization,” Spector said. “More than that, it gave us an opportunity to gather with representatives from other cities and other high ranking officials to both celebrate our accomplishments … and to learn from each other about the efforts that we are all making collectively,” he said.
Spector said he hopes Boston and the other awarded cities will provide an example in “making an effort moving forward” in climate action.
“We all came back with a higher sense of energy and excitement to continue to work,” he said. “By sending us to represent the city, Mayor Walsh signaled his deep engagement and his determination in keeping Boston a global leader in climate action.”
Several residents said they felt optimistic and hopeful about Boston’s international recognition for giving attention to environmental issues.
Sarah Beck, 26, of South Boston, said she believes that Boston’s efforts in reducing greenhouse gasses are beneficial.
“I like living in a city that is conscious about [environmental issues]. I like living in a place where I don’t have to grab a car [and can take the public transportation instead],” she said. “I hope one day that it [will become] a self-sustaining city.”
Peter Dzaugis, 22, a senior at Northeastern University, said that although Boston’s innovation in addressing climate change contributed to its international achievement, the city’s public transportation still needs to be improved.
“Our public transportation needs upkeep. [I hope for] transportation that emits less carbon gas emissions,” he said. “Hopefully we’re innovators and the forefront in [preventing] greenhouse gasses.”
Sabrina Mills, 28, of Brighton, said Boston’s achievement is impressive, as climate change issues are sometimes overlooked.
“It’s awesome that Boston’s being recognized for [its] efforts,” she said. “Keep up the good work. [I hope Boston continues in] improving bus fuel emissions and gas consumption and making things more accessible — some parts of the city are not as accessible as the others.”
