Congratulations to Warwick and Shutesbury for achieving Climate Leader Community status! (“Warwick and Shutesbury among latest crop of Climate Leader Communities,” April 1) Along with Ashfield, these small western Massachusetts towns are showing how common-sense strategies for cutting costs can benefit municipal budgets and help meet climate goals.
One element of this program that excites me is the Municipal Roadmap, a key step along the way to Climate Leader status. Grant funding is available to help towns figure out how to incorporate better ways to do things that are already in their capital plans — if a town knows it will eventually need to replace a building or upgrade a building’s heating system, a Municipal Roadmap helps communities plan with an eye to both budget and climate goals. And once a community reaches Climate Leader status, towns are eligible for grants of up to $1 million for further projects, making clean energy projects more possible for small rural towns. I love it that western Massachusetts towns are leading the way!
Warwick’s Janice Kurkoski says that “when the ‘moral incentive to do something about climate change’ combines with the cost savings… clean energy projects are often a ‘no-brainer.’” Encouraging words for all of us.
Sia Stewart
Conway