Special to the Sun
Mayor Michelle Wu this week shared the events she will participate in while attending a climate summit at the Vatican, hosted by Pope Francis, “From Climate Crisis to Climate Resilience.” Mayor Wu will give remarks for a discussion called “Governance, Energy,” as part of Vatican Summit Session VII – Best Practice in Governance and co-chair a discussion called Session XI – Financing Resiliency. As a participant at the summit, Mayor Wu will showcase Boston as a champion on climate action, while learning from other global leaders about best practices. A key part of Boston’s Green New Deal is ensuring that the City’s work supports the climate, livability and opportunity of Boston’s neighborhoods for residents, taking action to address environmental protection while also enhancing public health, housing affordability, better public transit options, and access to green jobs.
While in Italy, she will also meet with the Mayor of Rome and visit towns with ties to Boston’s heritage and that of her own family. The Mayor will visit Sulmona, a town with strong ties through immigration to Boston’s North End; and attend a commemorative event in Coreno Ausonio, where her children will see the hometown that their great great-grandparents emigrated from. Two students from Boston Public Schools’ BCLA-McCormack will also be attending the Vatican summit. They will be two of eight young people from around the world to participate in Session XII – Voices of the Youth.
“As the climate crisis takes on growing urgency across the globe, communities must come together to take collective action for a safer, brighter future,” said Mayor Michelle Wu. “Boston is proof of what’s possible for cities tackling the climate crisis while creating green jobs and healthier communities. I’m honored to represent Boston at this important convening led by Pope Francis, and look forward to shining a spotlight on our community’s work and also bringing home solutions from innovative cities around the world.”
Mayor Wu is champion of climate action for Boston. The City’s leadership has delivered results through growing its PowerCorps green jobs program and Boston’s Community Choice Electricity program, transitioning to electric school buses and vehicles, decarbonizing existing buildings and adopting green building standards for new construction, launching networked geothermal energy in public housing, enhancing Boston’s green spaces and building green infrastructure to protect against flooding, bolstering electric vehicle infrastructure, and aggressively fighting for federal funding. Mayor Wu has set an ambitious agenda.
Mayor Wu’s commitment to climate action advances sustainability, resilience, and environmental justice. Last month, Mayor Wu shared her FY25 Budget which included groundbreaking investments in climate action and adaptation. These investments range from new personnel investments, such as a park administrator and six new maintenance staff to maintain Franklin Park, to transformative Capital investments, such as a new $75 million City fund that leverages State and Federal climate resilience grants. Under Mayor Wu’s leadership, the City will enhance climate resilience across Boston to prepare for climate change while supporting the lives of Boston residents.
The international conference is organized by the Pontifical Academy of Sciences and the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences under the leadership of UMass Boston Chancellor Marcelo Suárez-Orozco and Ram Ramanathan, Distinguished Research Professor at UC San Diego and climate solutions scholar at Cornell University. Pope Francis will preside over the summit.