By Rachael Hines

The Council of Energy Use and Climate Change (CEUCC) held a virtual meeting to discuss upcoming sustainability regulations on Wednesday, June 11. The Committee tackled issues like defining “net zero carbon emissions” and discussed how to incentivize sustainability in construction and remodeling while keeping costs low.

“There’s a concern about net zero being unaffordable, but according to recent research, that’s not the case.” said Commissioner and Committee member Liz Galloway. When constructing new buildings, there may not be a considerable price increase when choosing to go sustainable. “The net difference cost ends up being less than $1,000.” said Galloway.

Another topic of discussion for the Committee was their desire to welcome speakers from across Massachusetts in the future. Diverse perspectives are required in order to create regulations and programs that are attainable across all Massachusetts communities. According to Committee member Oliver Sellers-Garcia, getting creative will be crucial in their fight against fossil fuel reliance and high emissions.

For more information on the Council of Energy Use and Climate Change, visit www.somervillema.gov/departments/commission-on-energy-use-and-climate-change.