This agreement provides funding under the inflation reduction act (IRA) to metropolitan area planning council (mapc) to develop or update existing regional climate mitigation plans to address…

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded a $1,000,000 Cooperative Agreement to the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) under the Climate Pollution Reduction Grants program (CFDA 66.046) to develop or update regional climate action plans covering the Boston-Cambridge-Newton metropolitan area.

Specifically, MAPC will create a Priority Climate Action Plan (PCAP) due by March 2024, a Comprehensive Climate Action Plan (CCAP) due within 2 years, and a status report by the end of the 4-year project period. These plans will include greenhouse gas inventories, emissions reduction targets and measures, benefits analyses, and engagement with low-income and disadvantaged communities. MAPC will also subaward $140,000 total to six additional regional planning agencies to facilitate community engagement within their respective jurisdictions.

This agreement provides funding under the inflation reduction act (IRA) to metropolitan area planning council (mapc) to develop or update existing regional climate mitigation plans to address greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and reduction measures throughout the entire metropolitan area and to conduct meaningful engagement with low- income and disadvantaged communities and coordinate with geographically proximate tribes as appropriate. Specifically, the recipient will develop a priority climate action plan (pcap), comprehensive climate action plan (ccap), and status report. Each of these deliverables will include required elements such as greenhouse gas emissions inventories, quantified emissions reduction measures, benefits analyses, low-income and disadvantaged communities (lidac) benefits analyses, and more. Mapc will coordinate with fellow regional planning agencies and convene advisory boards with representatives from municipalities and community organizations in order to ensure that the project is informed by robust stakeholder engagement. While the state of massachusetts and some individual cities and towns within the boston-cambridge-newton metropolitan statistical area (MSA) already have climate action plans, this project will fill an existing GAP by addressing climate planning at the regional level. Activities:in general, activities include the development, updating, and evaluation of plans to reduce climate pollution (i.e., to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and/or enhance carbon sinks). Specific activities include 1) a greenhouse gas inventory; 2) greenhouse gas emissions projections; 3) greenhouse gas reduction targets; 4) quantified greenhouse gas reduction measures; 5) a benefits analysis for the full geographic scope and population covered by the plan; 6) a low-income and disadvantaged communities benefits analysis; 7) a review of authority to implement; 8) a plan to leverage other federal funding; and, 9) a workforce planning analysis. The recipient will also conduct extensive stakeholder engagement to ensure that impacted communities have meaningful involvement throughout this project. Subrecipient:mapc will subaward $140,000 total to six additional regional planning agencies (rpas) within the MSA. Subawards to rpas will be based on number of municipalities served, presence of justice 40 communities, and role within the project, and availability of additional resources, and range between $10,000 -$15,000 per subgrant annually for the first two years. The rpas will participate in a steering committee which will advise on plans, analyses, and strategy development and will facilitate community engagement within their respective jurisdictions. Outcomes:three key deliverables will be produced and submitted over the course of the four-year program period, including: a priority climate action plan (pcap), due march 1, 2024; a comprehensive climate action plan (ccap), due two years from the date of the award; and a status report, due at the close of the grant period. The expected outcomes include a pcap and ccap that identifies: tons of pollution (greenhouse gases and CO-pollutants) reduced over the lifetime of the measures; tons of pollution (greenhouse gases and CO-pollutants) reduced annually; and tons of pollution (greenhouse gases and CO-pollutants) reduced with respect to low-income and disadvantaged communities. Other expected outcomes include: implementation of local and regional strategies outlined in plan, improved staff capacity to implement climate policies. The intended beneficiaries include communities throughout the boston-cambridge-newton MA-NH metropolitan statistical area, particularly low-income and disadvantaged communities and environmental justice communities.