Mayor Wu Celebrates Local Environmental Champions at the 2026 Boston Climate Leader Awards

BOSTON - April 29, 2026 – Mayor Michelle Wu and the City of Boston's Environment Department hosted the second annual Boston Climate Leader Awards at The Prudential Center's View Boston, honoring the local leaders making extraordinary contributions to the city's ambitious climate action goals. The evening united a diverse coalition of community advocates, business leaders, and civic partners to celebrate excellence in five key areas: buildings, energy, environmental protection, climate preparedness, and research and innovation.

"These Boston Climate Leader Award winners reflect the best of our City: the talent, innovation, and community-based work that is helping Boston thrive for generations to come," said Mayor Michelle Wu. "Their partnership is essential to advancing Boston's climate action plan and achieving our shared sustainability and resilience goals. I'm grateful for their dedication, which sets an example not only for our community, but for our nation and the world."

Awardees were selected for their sustainability impact, climate innovation, and benefits to Environmental Justice communities. This competitive, community-led process received 87 nominations for various individuals and organizations. Applicants went through a multi-stage evaluation process conducted by various City of Boston departments to ensure the highest standards of impact and innovation.

The Emerald Skyline Award - Celebrating leadership in decarbonizing Boston's new and existing buildings.

• Business/Institution: WinnCompanies

WinnCompanies has set a new standard for sustainable affordable housing by implementing deep energy retrofits and fossil-fuel-free construction across Environmental Justice neighborhoods, ensuring low-income residents benefit from increased comfort and reduced energy burdens.

• Community Organization: Dorchester Bay Economic Development Corporation (DBEDC)

Working towards portfolio-wide decarbonization for their 1,200 housing units, DBEDC's recent investment in rooftop solar installations is projected to offset 3.5 million kilograms of carbon dioxide over 25 years.

• Individual: Yve Torrie, Director of Climate, Energy and Resilience for A Better City

Yve established what is now known as the PowerCorps Building Operations track, creating essential career pathways for young adults while providing the building industry with the skilled workforce needed to meet ambitious energy reduction goals.

The Boston Bright Future Award - Recognizing Boston's leaders transforming the energy grid to more renewable sources.

• Business/Institution: IT'S ELECTRIC

IT'S ELECTRIC is accelerating Boston's transition to zero-emission mobility by deploying compact, curbside EV chargers designed specifically for dense neighborhoods, removing the primary barrier to EV adoption for residents without private driveways.

• Community Organization: Green Energy Consumers Alliance

The Green Energy Consumers Alliance addresses climate justice, supports local community aggregation programs, and informs residents across Greater Boston about energy alternatives, affordability, and positive change campaigns.

• Individual: Bob Biggio, Chief Sustainability & Real Estate Officer at Boston Medical Center

Bob Biggio has pioneered a national model for sustainable healthcare by integrating green infrastructure, such as solar arrays, rooftop farms, and a cogeneration power plant into Boston Medical Center's operations, reinvesting millions in saved utility costs back into patient care.

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The Clean, Green City Award - Celebrating leaders working to reduce waste in Boston and/or protect the natural environment.

• Business/Institution: New England Aquarium

A global leader in ocean conservation, the New England Aquarium invests in cutting-edge scientific research, informs policy decisions and industry practices related to ocean conservation, and educates and inspires over 1 million visitors annually.

• Community Organization Category: Boston Food Forest Coalition (BFFC)

The BFFC is protecting land, increasing tree canopy, and increasing green space equity by transforming vacant lots in historically under-invested neighborhoods into public edible food forests.

• Individual: Mela Bush-Miles, Coordinator of Transit Equity & Environmental Justice, Action for Equity

For decades, Mela Bush-Miles has led the charge for clean air and transit equity in Environmental Justice communities, spearheading the Clean Buses for Boston campaign and serving as a pivotal force behind the electrification of the Fairmount-Indigo Line.

Resilient Boston Award - Recognizing leaders that are preparing Boston for the impacts of climate change, including sea level rise, severe weather events, and extreme heat.

• Business/Institution: Mass General Brigham

As the largest employer in Massachusetts, Mass General Brigham advances community resilience through intentional healthcare and strategic investments in climate-ready infrastructure, including two new facilities built to withstand environmental hazards while doubling as public emergency shelters.

• Community Organization: Wharf District Council

Serving as a unifier for waterfront residents and businesses, the Wharf District Council has spearheaded climate advocacy by developing a Conceptual Climate Resiliency Masterplan that features a 1.5-mile flood barrier designed to protect the downtown waterfront from sea-level rise while preserving its historic character.

• Individual: Dr. Patricia Fabian, Boston University

Dr. Fabian's data-driven research and collaborative leadership in environmental health has directly advanced resilience, equity and public health policy within Boston's schools and frontline communities.

The Boston Innovation Award - Celebrating the advances in research and technology driving climate change mitigation in Boston.

• Business/Institution: Benjamin Franklin Cummings Institute of Technology

Through their Center for Energy Efficiency and the Trades, FC Tech is building a diverse pool of innovative thinkers to fill specialized roles that support the advancement of green technologies such as heat pumps, sustainable buildings, and electric power generation.

• Community Organization: Mystic River Watershed Association and the Museum of Science

Through collaborative projects like Wicked Hot Boston and Wicked Hot Mystic, the Mystic River Watershed Association and the Museum of Science are providing foundational data needed to address extreme heat as a critical environmental justice issue.

• Individual: Dr. Katie Dafforn, Director of the Stone Living Lab and Professor of Coastal Resilience at UMass Boston

Dr. Dafforn is reimagining Boston's coastline by installing habitat panels on existing seawall infrastructure to enhance marine biodiversity, improve water quality, and reduce coastal erosion.

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Mayor Wu also honored Amos Hostetter Jr. with the Climate Catalyst Legacy Award, honoring him for his years of cultivating lasting public-private partnerships to drive climate action. Hostetter co-founded the Barr Foundation, which has funded a wide range of climate action projects across Boston. Hostetter also co-founded the Green Ribbon Commission with Mayor Thomas M. Menino, bringing together local institutions and businesses to accelerate the City's response to climate change.

"Achieving Boston's climate goals depends on local leadership in every neighborhood," said Brian Swett, Chief Climate Officer. "We know that bold climate action not only tackles an existential threat, but also provides a once-in-a-generation opportunity to deliver lower energy bills, good-paying jobs, and cleaner air for our communities. We are proud to celebrate these partners as we work together to accelerate our progress toward our shared sustainability and resilience goals."

"Climate Leader Awards is our opportunity to celebrate our local movers and shakers who are turning bold ideas into reality," said Oliver Sellers-Garcia, Environment Commissioner and Green New Deal Director. "These awardees are setting an example not just for our community, but the nation at-large, proving that community-centered climate work is in full swing here in Boston."

On Monday, April 27, 2026, Mayor Michelle Wu announced the release of Boston's landmark 2030 Climate Action Plan alongside dozens of community and institutional partners at LoPresti Park in East Boston. This implementation plan provides a roadmap for how the City will achieve its carbon emissions reduction and climate resilience goals, including reducing community-wide greenhouse gas emissions 50 percent by 2030 and reaching carbon neutrality by 2050.

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