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Learn about how the city of Cambridge tracks greenhouse gas emissions.

The City is on target to reduce GHG emissions by 30% by 2020.

Sustainability initiatives the DPW is taking to support the City's goals of energy and greenhouse gas emissions reductions.

A long-range plan to remove greenhouse gas emissions from transportation in Cambridge

The City has set aggressive goals and implemented a series of actions in order to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to a) prevent climate change from worsening b) and address the inevitable impacts of climate change that we are already experiencing in order to improve the health and resilience of the community.

Burning fossil fuels releases greenhouse gas emissions. They’re the main driver of climate change and also cause local environmental and human health impacts in Cambridge. That’s why the City is actively working to reduce fossil fuels throughout municipal operations and our community.

The Building Energy Use Disclosure Ordinance lays out steps for non-residential buildings 100,000 square feet or larger to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2035, and for non-residential buildings with more than 25,000 square feet to reach net zero by 2050.

City staff will host a forum about proposed changes to the Building Energy Use Disclosure Ordinance (BEUDO).

The Community-Wide GHG Inventory helps the City of Cambridge benchmark community-wide emissions, and provides a necessary foundation that enables Cambridge to track progress towards emission reduction goals, and engage specific market sectors in actions to reduce emissions.

As a result of a City Lighting Study by the Electrical Department and the Community Development Department, it was determined that there was an opportunity for the city to have greater energy efficiency and light quality with LED fixtures.