Wayland Finalizes Climate Plan, Will Hire Sustainability Director

WAYLAND, MA — Wayland has finalized a town-wide Climate Action Mobilization Plan, which follows a 2021 Town Meeting vote to declare a local climate emergency.

The 2021 spring Town Meeting resolution called on the town to make several policy changes to reduce carbon emissions, including the creation of a Climate Action Mobilization Plan (CAMP). The town will now hire a sustainability director to oversee that plan, which seeks to halve the town's carbon emissions by 2030.

The Wayland Energy and Climate Committee worked on the plan over the last few months, and the Select Board signed off on it at the end of June.

"The CAMP builds on the terrific work already underway in Wayland including Community Electricity Choice, municipal building upgrades, solar panels at Loker, anti-idling signage and outreach to the community on residential energy audits," Energy and Climate Committee Co-Chair Ellen Tohn said in a news release.

Almost all of Wayland's carbon emissions come from residential homes (43%) and cars (36%). But add commercial and town buildings to the mix and about 60% of the town's carbon emissions comes from buildings alone, according to the CAMP.

The climate plan calls for the decarbonization of all buildings in town by encouraging residents and businesses to switch from oil and natural gas to renewable energy sources. Residents should invest in solar arrays and take advantage of MassSave audits; the town beginning in 2023 will start using new building standards for rehabilitations and new municipal construction, the plan says.

For vehicle emissions, the plan calls for new charging stations for electric vehicles, switching the town vehicle fleet to all-electric, discouraging vehicle idling and creating new options for travel, like transit and biking.

Read the full Wayland CAMP plan here.