By Joseph A. Curtatone

(The opinions and views expressed in the commentaries and letters to the Editor of The Somerville Times belong solely to the authors and do not reflect the views or opinions of The Somerville Times, its staff or publishers)

Recently President Trump announced he will withdraw the United States from the Paris Climate Accord. His decision didn’t go over well. As it turns out, when you set in motion the potential reversal of decades of progress on climate change, people all across our huge planet – like world leaders, business executives, scientists, everyday citizens, and the Pope – will express their dismay.  Count me among the exasperated, and I’ve heard from many of you that you feel that way too. President Trump’s choice to make America a climate pariah – one of only three countries worldwide to reject the accord – is shortsighted, irresponsible, and outright bad for all of us. The question now is what can we each do to counter this step backward? Well, I have a few local options for you.

First, on June 26th, we’re launching the next phase of our planning process for creating our comprehensive climate change plan called Somerville Climate Forward. With community input, we’ll shape a plan that will identify actionable short- and medium-term policies, projects, and programs aimed at reducing Somerville’s carbon footprint and preparing the city for the expected and evolving risks climate change presents.

Efforts are already underway throughout the city to reduce carbon emissions and advance climate resiliency efforts. For one, we’re leveraging new development to help fund infrastructure improvements and concentrate home construction near future Green Line stops so fewer residents will have to rely on cars. Somerville Climate Forward will be an opportunity to identify new policies, programs, and projects.

We have a big task ahead of us. Sixty-four percent of the 609,565 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions put out by the community come from the energy use of buildings and homes with another 34 percent coming from transportation (98 percent of transportation emissions are from personal road vehicles). We all contribute to the city’s carbon emissions and Somerville Climate Forward will look at solutions to both City-produced emissions as well as those of the overall community. I hope you’ll join us at the kickoff on June 26 (info below).

Second, we’ve incorporated a number of new sustainability measures into our proposed zoning code overhaul. This summer you can stop by a number of open houses to talk with our Planning staff about the overall code proposal as well as the sustainability measures. There you can provide feedback for the final draft of the proposed code that will be submitted to the Board of Aldermen this fall. You’ll find the full schedule at www.somervillezoning.com.

Finally, the City of Somerville will start a new electricity bulk buying program for households and businesses citywide this July. Called Somerville Community Choice Electricity (Somerville CCE), the goal of the program is twofold. It aims to reduce and stabilize the cost of electricity, as well as increase the share of renewable “green” energy in our electricity supply. The default supply will contain 5 percent more renewable energy than what is currently required by the State of Massachusetts. But if you want to go further, you can choose to increase your renewable energy percentage to 100 percent. The cost is higher for the 100 percent option, but so are the climate benefits. A full 22 percent of Somerville’s greenhouse gas emissions are estimated to come from grid-supplied electricity. The more residents who increase to 100 percent, the more we can drive down those emissions. More information on the CCE plan can be found at www.somervillecce.com.

Lastly, just a note on global and local impacts. Too much hangs in the balance if the Paris Accord’s targets are not met. Along with the climate, financial, and political instability as well as the resulting human suffering that climate impacts are expected to cause over time across the planet, the American economy – and the Somerville economy – will suffer too simply by the U.S. not being a part of the agreement.

President Trump failed to recognize what we stand to gain and how we benefit from getting out ahead on clean energy. The UN Green Climate Fund (set up to help implement the Paris Agreement) provides resources to help developing counties fund low-emission and climate-resilient projects and programs. One way the fund does this is through the purchase of technology from businesses in developed countries like those in Somerville and other metro communities. Currently in the United States, nearly three times as many people are employed in the solar and wind energy industries than in the coal industry. In Somerville, we’re home to GreenTown Labs, the largest clean-tech incubator in the nation. As a result of leaving the Paris Agreement, the ability of American companies, like those at GreenTown, to capitalize on the global shift to renewable energy will be hindered.

If the president wants to display poor leadership and abandon his responsibilities, taking a back seat on climate change, Somerville is one of the cities ready to band together and lead the way. We’re more committed than ever to our goal of carbon neutrality by 2050. We’re taking responsibility for our role in climate change here on the local level, and we need your help. If we can’t count on our federal government to step up and do the right thing for our collective future, let’s prove we can count on each other, Somerville.

The first Somerville Climate Forward community meeting will be held Monday, June 26, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the East Somerville Community School. For more information about the Somerville Climate Forward plan or to get involved in the planning process, contact Hannah Payne at HPayne@somervillema.gov. For other SustainaVille initiatives, including tips on what can be done at home to reduce carbon emissions, visit www.somervillema.gov/SustainaVille, sign up for SustainaVille updates, or follow the work on Facebook at Green Somerville.