Council Supports Climate Change Superfund

During this week’s Council meeting, the Council adopted a resolution in support of H.872 and S.481, An act establishing a climate change superfund and promoting polluter responsibility.



This legislative session, a companion bill S.481 to H.872 was filed by Senator James Eldridge, which, if passed, would establish a climate change superfund and require the largest oil and gas companies to pay $75 billion over 25 years.



The resolution states that, “climate change poses multiple threats to the City of Boston, including extreme heat, flooding, poor air quality, and other extreme weather and secondary impacts.”



To pay for climate adaptation and resilience projects, our city will require external funding, and the passage of these bills in the State House and Senate would generate $75 billion over 25 years, providing the means for Boston to adapt to climate impacts in a just and meaningful manner.



The proposed legislation mandates that 40% of the funding be allocated to projects benefiting environmental justice communities while also strongly encouraging adherence to prevailing wage laws and the utilization of apprenticeship programs.