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The City of Cambridge last night became the first known city in the country to mandate non-residential buildings to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions with a net zero goal by 2035 for large buildings and 2050 for mid-size buildings.

The City is working to reduce our community’s impact on the environment through waste reduction programs. The City collects and recycles more than 9,000 tons of materials annually. By stopping food waste from going to a landfill, we prevent greenhouse gas emissions.

The City of Cambridge today announced the results for the tenth Participatory Budget (PB) Process. Eight projects in total were selected after a record 10,522 Cambridge residents age 12 and older voted how to spend $2 million on capital and operating projects to improve the community.

When it comes to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and combating climate change, every little bit helps – including the steps you can take to be sustainable at home. Learn how to do your part by recycling, composting, and urban farming, as well as conserving energy and taking steps to prepare for flooding.

Transportation Demand Management (TDM) encourage people to switch from driving alone to walking, biking, taking buses and trains, carpooling, and other sustainable transportation options. The City encourages TDM to help more people get around Cambridge without creating more traffic and greenhouse gas emissions. These and other goals are described in Envision Cambridge.

After years of research, planning, and community engagement, the City of Cambridge is preparing for new greenhouse gas emissions reduction requirements for large buildings to take effect beginning January 1. The Office of Sustainability is reaching out to property owners covered under the Building Energy Use Disclosure Ordinance (BEUDO) to help them understand and prepare for the new requirements.

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts and FEMA announce today a partnership to expand access to the COVID-19 vaccine by bringing 6,000 federal doses daily to the Hynes Convention Center vaccination site, for a total of 7,000 doses per day when combined with the state’s current allocation. This Community Vaccination Center (CVC) program will be open to the public.

The Climate Committee is a volunteer group of community members who work together to provide feedback and ideas to the City on topics related to climate change. It was formerly known as the Climate Protection Action Committee. The Climate Committee works to help the City reduce climate change impacts, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, increase equity, and serve as a partner to and example for other communities.

Housing affordability promotes stability for our residents and allows for building the social, economic, and cultural bonds that strengthen a community. Creating and preserving affordable housing remains the City’s highest priority. In FY22, the City appropriated more than $32 million to the Affordable Housing Trust, bringing the total of City funds committed to the Trust to more than $278 million (FY92-FY22) to invest in affordable housing initiatives.

In 2024, the Cambridge Public Library revealed the top 10 most borrowed books, with The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride leading the fiction category, while The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt topped nonfiction. The children's book Dog Man: The Scarlett Shedder was the most popular among young readers. March saw the highest number of checkouts, contributing to a total of nearly 1.1 million books borrowed that year.