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Cambridge strives to be a sustainable city that cultivates its natural systems, limits its greenhouse gas emissions, and is resilient to the impacts of climate change. Cambridge actively develops green infrastructure, sets smart environmental regulations, and incentivizes private action to create a sustainable environment for all. The City’s programs, policies, and plans aim to illuminate the connections between energy consumption, stewardship of natural ecologies, mitigation of extreme weather, and the health and well-being of its people.
Envision indicators are updated as new data becomes available, which varies by indicator, but no more often than annually.
Cambridge is working to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to limit the city’s impact on climate change. This indicator demonstrates the City’s efforts to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions.
The chart shows Citywide greenhouse gas emissions from energy use in the equivalent million metric tons of CO2.
Cambridge is working to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to limit the city’s impact on climate change. This indicator demonstrates the City’s efforts to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions.
The chart shows Citywide greenhouse gas emissions from energy use in the equivalent million metric tons of CO2.
GHG Inventory data is collected and analyzed from a number of different sources including Eversource, the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, and the Cambridge Department of Public Works.
The GHG Inventory covers the geographic boundary of Cambridge and includes emissions from three sectors: Buildings and Energy, Transportation, and Waste. Each sector has different ways in which emissions are calculated and each sector is informed by different data sources. The scopes of the inventory are:
Citywide greenhouse gas emissions
1.308 Equivalent in million metric tons of CO2
0.77 Equivalent in million metric tons of CO2
This indicator provides insight into the City’s efforts to reduce and divert waste from landfills via recycling and separation of organics from other waste streams.
The chart shows the yearly average amount of trash collected each week from Cambridge households.
This indicator provides insight into the City’s efforts to reduce and divert waste from landfills via recycling and separation of organics from other waste streams.
The chart shows the yearly average amount of trash collected each week from Cambridge households.
DPW
Trash tonnage collected per week divided by number of households
Pounds of trash collected per household per week
17.26 Pounds per household per week
12 Pounds per household per week
This indicator provides insight into the success of actions to preserve and expand Cambridge’s tree canopy, particularly in neighborhoods that currently lack trees. These efforts benefit the natural environment and contribute to general quality of life.
This indicator provides insight into the success of actions to preserve and expand Cambridge’s tree canopy, particularly in neighborhoods that currently lack trees. These efforts benefit the natural environment and contribute to general quality of life.
University of Vermont Spatial Analysis Laboratory in collaboration with City of Cambridge
This layer is a high-resolution tree canopy change-detection layer that measures the area covered by the tree canopy. Tree canopy change was mapped with remotely sensed data, using an approach that integrated automated feature extraction with manual edits.
Tree canopy coverage
26.7%
Percentage
An impervious surface is one that water can't pass through. Impervious surfaces create numerous environmental problems, including limiting natural filtration of stormwater into soil and absorption of heat from the sun, generating an “urban heat island.” Impervious surfaces can include buildings, streets, parking lots, and other paved areas.
An impervious surface is one that water can't pass through. Impervious surfaces create numerous environmental problems, including limiting natural filtration of stormwater into soil and absorption of heat from the sun, generating an “urban heat island.” Impervious surfaces can include buildings, streets, parking lots, and other paved areas.
2018 planimetric data, with edits and corrections by Cambridge GIS Department.
Impervious surfaces were identified and delineated in planimetric data layers. These were combined into a single layer of impervious surfaces. With buildings excluded, this layer was used to calculate the proportion of surface area covered by pavement and other impervious surfaces.
Percentage of land area covered by non-building impervious surfaces
38%
38%
As the climate changes, Cambridge will be more at risk of flooding, both from stormwater during major storms and the combined effects of sea level rise and storm surges. Some parts of Cambridge are more at risk than others. This indicator tracks our success at adapting to flood risk through infrastructure investment and regulation.
As the climate changes, Cambridge will be more at risk of flooding, both from stormwater during major storms and the combined effects of sea level rise and storm surges. Some parts of Cambridge are more at risk than others. This indicator tracks our success at adapting to flood risk through infrastructure investment and regulation.
CDD GIS / DPW - (precipitation based hydraulic/hydrologic modeling by City of Cambridge and sea level rise/storm surge model Massachusetts Coastal Flood Risk Model (MC-FRM).
Calculate percentage of land area at risk of flooding (precipitation and sea level rise/storm surge flooding) due to a 10-year storm based on 2070 flood projections.
Percentage of land area at risk of flooding due to a 10-year storm by 2070
5%
4%
As the climate changes, Cambridge will be more at risk of flooding, both from stormwater during major storms and the combined effects of sea level rise and storm surges. Some parts of Cambridge are more at risk than others. This indicator tracks our success at adapting to flood risk through infrastructure investment and regulation.
As the climate changes, Cambridge will be more at risk of flooding, both from stormwater during major storms and the combined effects of sea level rise and storm surges. Some parts of Cambridge are more at risk than others. This indicator tracks our success at adapting to flood risk through infrastructure investment and regulation.
CDD GIS / DPW - (precipitation based hydraulic/hydrologic modeling by City of Cambridge and sea level rise/storm surge model Massachusetts Coastal Flood Risk Model (MC-FRM).
Calculate percentage of land area at risk of flooding (precipitation and sea level rise/storm surge flooding) due to a 10-year storm based on 2070 flood projections.
Percentage of land area at risk of flooding due to a 100-year storm by 2070
15%
13%
Tracking the total consumption of potable water will provide insight into conservation and efficiency efforts. These efforts contribute to a more sustainable future for Cambridge. This indicator measures the change in water use (in gallons per day) vs. the baseline year, 2017, for residential and non-residential end uses.
The target for this indicator is that residential and non-residential water use should increase at a rate less than the increase in population or employment, respectively.
Tracking the total consumption of potable water will provide insight into conservation and efficiency efforts. These efforts contribute to a more sustainable future for Cambridge. This indicator measures the change in water use (in gallons per day) vs. the baseline year, 2017, for residential and non-residential end uses.
The target for this indicator is that residential and non-residential water use should increase at a rate less than the increase in population or employment, respectively.
Water use data: Cambridge Water Dept. Annual Statistical Reports, submitted to Mass DEP. Data from table DS-3, Metered Finished Water Use.
Residential Population: Census Population Estimates Program
Employment: MA Dept of Economic Research Employment and Wages Report (ES-202), annual report for all ownership types and all industries.
Residential: Divide water consumption in gal/day for residential uses by population. Non-residential: Divide water consumption in gal/day for all other uses by employment.
| Indicator | Baseline | Target |
|---|---|---|
| % change in residential water use vs. 2017 | 0% | Percentage |
| % change in non-residential water use vs. 2017 | 0% | Percentage |
Reflective roof surfaces reduce the urban heat island effect by reflecting the sun's energy away instead of absorbing it as heat in a building. By increasing the number of reflective roofs in the city, we can help reduce the temperature of the city on hot days. Reflective roofs are easiest to apply to flat roofs as typically found on large commercial buildings.
Reflective roof surfaces reduce the urban heat island effect by reflecting the sun's energy away instead of absorbing it as heat in a building. By increasing the number of reflective roofs in the city, we can help reduce the temperature of the city on hot days. Reflective roofs are easiest to apply to flat roofs as typically found on large commercial buildings.
Citywide digital 3D building layer and citywide orthophotos.
The city-wide digital 3D building layer was analyzed to identify flat roofs. Reflectivity data comes from orthophoto images with reflectivity given a value from 0 (very dark) to 100 (very bright).
Percentage of total flat roof area that has high reflectivity.
29.9%
Percentage
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