The Global Warming Solutions Act (GWSA) requires that by January 1, 2011, the Commonwealth adopt a greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions limit for 2020 that is between 10 percent and 25 percent below 1990 levels, and an economy-wide plan to achieve these reductions.   

Massachusetts established 12 interagency climate policy work groups to review and evaluate the strategies and policy options that are available to government to bring about GHG reductions in a wide variety of economic sectors.

State agency personnel involved in these workgroups come from the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs; the Departments of Environmental Protection, Energy Resources, Conservation and Recreation, and Agricultural Resources; the Executive Offices of Housing and Economic Development, Transportation, and Public Safety and several of the agencies within those Secretariats, as well as researchers from the University of Massachusetts. 

During July 2009, these groups held public discussions with experts and leading thinkers in each particular focus area.  See below for the schedule of public meetings held, including links to available handouts and presentatations.

Introductory Presentation at All Sessions

Massachusetts: National Leadership in Climate & Energy Policy
MS Powerpoint 847 KB | PDF 142 KB

Economy-Wide Price of Carbon

Conveners: Benjamin Davis & William Lamkin

July 7, 2009 
Boston, MA

Presentation by Gilbert E. Metcalf, Tufts University
MS Powerpoint 433 KB | PDF 48 KB

Presentation by Anja Kollmuss, Stockholm Environment Institute
MS Powerpoint 3.8 MB | PDF 712 KB

Development Patterns & Travel Behavior

Conveners: Christine Kirby & Amy Branger 

July 8, 2009
Boston, MA

Low Carbon Fuel Supply

Conveners: Dwayne Breger & Nathan Phelps

July 9, 2009
Boston, MA

Energy Sector Sequestration

Conveners: Eric Fahle & Steve Petsch 

July 9, 2009
Boston, MA

Building Efficiency & Energy Consumption

Conveners: Alissa Whiteman & Mike Guigli 

July 13, 2009
Boston, MA

Meeting Agenda
MS Word 40 KB | PDF 45 KB

Forests

Conveners: Robert O'Connor & Robert Rizzo 

July 13, 2009
Leominster, MA

Materials & Waste Management

Convener: John Fischer 

July 13, 2009
Boston, MA

Chart: Potential Additional Annual Recycling Increase
& GHG Reductions by Material Category
MS Excel 21 KB | PDF 14 KB

Transportation Vehicle Efficiency

Conveners: Marc Breslow & Amy Branger 

July 14, 2009
Boston, MA

Presentation by John B. Heywood, MIT Sloan Automotive Laboratory
MS Powerpoint 240 KB | PDF 36 KB

Handout: An Action Plan for Cars
MS Word 30 KB | PDF 79 KB

Handout: Responding to the Challenges of Energy &
Greenhouse Gas Reductions from Transportation
MS Word 32 KB | PDF 67 KB

Presentation by Coralie Cooper, NESCAUM
MS Powerpoint 159 KB | PDF 69 KB

Industrial Process Emissions (Non-Energy) & Industrial Energy Efficiency

Process Emissions Conveners: Marc Wolman & Rich Bizzozero

Energy Efficiency Conveners: Alissa Whiteman & David Howland 

Introduction to GWSA & the Industrial Process Sector
MS Powerpoint 892 KB | PDF 158 KB

July 15, 2009
Worcester, MA

Agriculture

Conveners: Lee Dillard Adams & Gerald Palano 

July 17, 2009
Worcester, MA

Presentation by Sally Brown, Kristen McIvor, Andrew
Trlica & Kate Kurtz, University of Washington
MS Powerpoint 7.1 MB | PDF 1.5 MB