Taking on climate change: Weston comes up with five-point action plan

Weston's new Climate Action and Resilience Plan is getting rave reviews from the Select Board, with the goal for the town to have net zero carbon emissions by 2050, which is in line with recent state legislation.

"What an incredible effort and what an amazing product," Select Board Chairwoman Laurie Bent said at a meeting on May 4. "It’s marvelous, really just marvelous ... I’m very impressed."

The plan was finalized after three online surveys to residents, in which 60% responded that climate change is "extremely important," noting concerns about preserving Weston's biodiversity, conservation land and trees.

The average Weston resident emits the equivalent of 12.4 metric tons of CO2 per year, a little lower than the national average but higher than the state average, according to Weston Sustainability Committee member Phoebe Beierle.

The finalization of the plan coincides with the hiring of Weston's first sustainability coordinator, Kortni Wroten, whom Beierle said will "make translating the plan into reality much more of an easy task."

Wroten told the Select Board she is "really pumped to get started ... All of the enthusiasm in town is really overwhelming in a good way, so I’m really excited about it."

Overall, the plan has five main elements -- preserving Weston’s waterways, wildlife and open spaces; prioritizing low carbon methods for transportation; shifting to efficient buildings with renewable electricity to reduce greenhouse gases; ensuring the town's infrastructure and utilities are resilient to the effects of climate change; and reducing the amount of water used by residents and waste sent to the Transfer Station.

For each of the five areas, the plan identifies targets for 2035 and 2050.

One of Wroten's responsibilities will be to seek grant opportunities to fund some of the initiatives.

Beierle said the majority of carbon emissions in town comes from cars and heating and cooling buildings, which are primarily residential in Weston.

If Weston powered all of its electricity with renewable sources like solar and wind, according to Beierle, the town would reduce its emissions by 38% per year.

Beierle said most of Massachusetts will experience increased storm events, extreme heat, drought and flooding as a result of climate change.

"We’ve seen the impacts of these with downed trees, more power outages and disruptions to our communications and emergency response systems," Beierle said, "so it’s important that the town be prepared for these events and be resilient and working to try to mitigate as much as possible."

Beierle said the Climate Action and Resilience Plan contains ideas on educating residents about recycling and how to install solar panels on their homes.

"So it’s going to take everyone," Beierle said. "It has been a huge team effort up until this point."

Beierle hopes Weston's municipal operations "lead by example," with a goal of 100% renewable energy by 2035.