In April 2021, the Green Worcester Plan came into effect, setting the goals of energy use and carbon reductions for the municipality and community at large, including:
We've been working hard to make progress towards our Green Worcester goals. Here are some recent highlights:
The table below outlines the goals, strategies, and actions defined in the Green Worcester Plan.
| Action | Description | Timeline |
1 | Zero Emissions: Eliminate 100 percent of greenhouse gas emissions citywide. | 2030-2045 |
2 | Community Choice Program: Achieve 100% renewable electricity sources by 2035 via aggregation. | 2030-2035 |
3 | Carbon Neutral Cities Alliance: Seek nomination for membership. | 2020-2025 |
4 | Net Zero City Operations: Aim to make city facilities and operations net zero by 2030, including the city vehicle fleet. | 2020-2025 |
5 | Flexible Commutes for City Employees: Develop commuting and/or work at home programs for City employees to cut emissions. | 2020-2025 |
6 | Energy Pilot Projects: Identify opportunities for innovative energy pilot project. | 2025-Ongoing |
7 | Building Disclosure Policy: Adopt a building performance disclosure policy for non-residential buildings. | 2020-2025 |
8 | PACE Program: Opt into the proposed Massachusetts PACE (Property Assessed Clean Energy) program. | 2020-2025 |
9 | Public EV Charging: Establish EV charging stations in all City-owned parking areas with 20 or more parking spaces. | 2020-2025 |
10 | Multifamily EV charging: Require EV stations and EV-ready parking at all new 5-unit plus multifamily buildings with on-site parking. | 2020-2025 |
11 | Solar Zoning Ordinance: Develop and adopt a solar zoning ordinance with clear standards for siting solar farms and solar installations (residential and commercial). | 2020-2025 |
12 | Solar Map Tool: Work with educational institutions to create a solar map tool with information on solar opportunities in Worcester, including information on utility poles, roof material, and so on. | 2020-2025 |
13 | Regional Electricity Aggregation: Work towards becoming a Level II Aggregator. | 2020-2035 |
14 | Energy Ownership Models: Support efforts to diversify energy ownership models, renewable energy generation or purchase by 2035, including parameters for the use of Renewable Energy Credits (RECs) and equity and cost impacts. | 2025-Ongoing |
| Action | Description | Timeline |
1 | Open Space and Recreation Plan: Continue to update and implement the City’s Open Space and Recreation Plan as required to ensure City eligibility for state funding. | Ongoing |
2 | Join the City Parks Alliance. | 2020-2025 |
3 | Urban Core and Green Spaces: Make new green spaces, street trees, sidewalk planters, and street landscaping in the urban core of the city a high priority (in the Open Space and Recreation Plan and other municipal plans) in order to reduce the urban heat island effect and help manage stormwater. | 2020-Ongoing |
4 | GreenStreets Routes: Designate “GreenStreets” routes for neighborhood access to parks to implement improvements that enhance safe and comfortable walking and biking and prioritize these routes for shade by planting trees. | 2020-Ongoing |
5 | Cluster Subdivision: Revise the Cluster Subdivision zoning provision to allow by-right development using zoning consistent with the principles of the State’s Model Open Space Design/ Natural Resources Protection Zoning. | 2020-Ongoing |
6 | Urban Forestry: Develop and implement an Urban Forestry Plan. | 2025-Ongoing |
7 | Tree Standards: Establish development standards for tree retention, replacement and planting for private projects that meet size thresholds. | 2020-2025 |
8 | Habitat Lands: Continue management of Worcester’s water supply open space lands (located outside the city limits) as high-quality environmental systems. | 2020-Ongoing |
9 | Lakes & Ponds Program: Continue the program to improve water quality and expand it to additional surface water features. | 2020-Ongoing |
10 | High Performance Private Landscapes: Raise public awareness about beneficial stormwater best management practices for drainage areas of lakes and ponds, such as permeable pavement, rain gardens, rain barrels, and lawn buffers at stream and pond shores. | 2025-Ongoing |
11 | Upgrade Regulations: Complete and enforce any needed upgrades to regulations related to land disturbance and development that result in nonpoint pollution to streams, lakes and ponds. | 2025-Ongoing |
| Action | Description | Timeline |
1 | Sustainability of All City Building Systems: Continue to transition City-owned buildings away from dependence on fossil fuels and towards full electrification and renewable energy through establishing sustainability requirements and thresholds for all City buildings. | 2020-Ongoing |
2 | Municipal Strategic Building Energy Management Plan. | 2020-2025 |
3 | Fossil Fuels to Renewable Fuels: Develop a program to move all Worcester buildings from dependence on fossil fuels, including natural gas, to renewable energy sources. | 2020-2025 |
4 | Mandatory Energy Efficiency in City-Funded programs. | 2025-Ongoing |
5 | Annual Energy Performance Data on Large Buildings: Require buildings that meet size thresholds to submit annual energy performance data by adopting a building performance disclosure policy. | 2020-2025 |
6 | Cool Roof Incentives: Establish an incentive program for “cool roofs” and “green roofs” to reduce air conditioning costs, the urban heat island effect, and, in the case of green roofs, help in stormwater management. | 2030-2035 |
7 | Distributed Energy Systems: Promote solar installations, geothermal networks, and other distributed energy systems, working with the state, National Grid, and other stakeholders. | 2025-Ongoing |
8 | Sustainability Incentives for Private Buildings: Provide at least two incentives for private sector buildings that meet the standards of LEED or an equivalent green building rating system. | 2020-2025 |
9 | Green Vocational Training: Establish training programs at the Worcester Technical High School for sustainable building systems and renewable energy. | 2020-2025 |
10 | Awards: Promote establishment of an annual award for green development projects, including retrofits. | 2020-2025 |
11 | Code compliance: Enforce consistent compliance with current energy codes. | 2020-Ongoing |
12 | Home MPG Rating: Advocate for passage of state legislative proposals to require an energy assessment label (at time of sale) for single family, 1-4 family, and condominium homes. | 2020-2025 |
13 | State Energy Code: Continue to support and advocate for advanced state energy code regulations, such as a net zero energy code. | 2020-2025 |
14 | Land Use and Zoning: Use the comprehensive plan and zoning ordinance to support initiatives and regulations that promote reduced GHG emissions in housing and non-residential buildings. (See Chapter XII Sustainability and Resilience in All Policies.) | 2020-2022 |
15 | Sustainable Reuse of Underutilized Properties. | 2022-Ongoing |
| Action | Description | Timeline |
1 | Sustainable Transportation and Mobility: Establish a sustainable transportation and mobility policy and planning section within the Department of Sustainability and Resilience. | 2022-Ongoing |
2 | Transportation Emissions Reductions: Make the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions an explicit goal of City of Worcester transportation planning. | 2022-Ongoing |
3 | Connectivity: Make connected networks an explicit goal of City of Worcester transportation planning. | 2020-2025 |
4 | Event Transportation: Promote sustainable transportation choices at high profile locations and events, such as Polar Park and DCU events. | 2022-Ongoing |
5 | Idling Reduction: Enforce the Massachusetts Anti Idling Law (Chapter 90, Sec. 16A). | 2023-2025 |
6 | Electric Vehicle Use: Promote the use of electric vehicles in Worcester. | 2022-Ongoing |
7 | WRTA Fleet: Transition the WRTA bus fleet to 100% electric buses by 2035. | 2025-Ongoing |
8 | Transit Demand: Work with large employers to identify transit demand and priority routes for their employees, and seek funding for solutions to reduce single occupancy vehicle use. | 2025-Ongoing |
9 | Consultation with the WRTA: Include the WRTA in the Transportation Advisory Group and consult the WRTA from the beginning in City transportation, street redesign and resurfacing projects. | 2022-Ongoing |
10 | WRTA Service Optimum: Review WRTA service and make changes as needed to promote higher ridership while balancing coverage and social service responsibilities. | 2020-2030 |
11 | Transit to Serve Higher Education: Work with higher education employers, institutions and student populations to identify transit demand and priority routes, and seek funding. | 2020-2030 |
12 | Complete Streets Policy: Implement the policy by developing a priority plan for designing roadway space for all users. | 2022-Ongoing |
13 | Micromobility Plan: Develop and Implement a Pedestrian, Bicycle, and Micromobility Plan. | 2020-2025 |
14 | Bike and Micromobility Share: Find a reliable partner to create a new city micromobility share program for bicycles, scooters, and similar light-weight transportation. | 2020-2025 |
15 | Open Streets Program: Create an “Open Streets” program to close a set of downtown or other suitable streets on Sunday mornings, monthly or weekly, or as one-off events, for biking and walking. | 2022-Ongoing |
16 | Energy-efficient Truck Routes: Study and revise, as needed, the truck routes for city-owned or city-contracted trucks, to enhance energy efficiency and reduce GHG emissions. | 2020-2025 |
17 | Mitigate Truck Route Impacts: Develop, implement and enforce a truck route plan that avoids negative impacts on residential and commercial areas. | 2022-Ongoing |
18 | Truck Idling: Work with the Port of Worcester and CSX to reduce or eliminate idling at their yards. | 2025-Ongoing |
19 | Last Mile Freight Delivery: Work with businesses for opportunities to establish innovative “last mile” freight delivery options that reduce GHG emissions. | 2020-2025 |
20 | Coordinated Land Use Decisions: Use the comprehensive plan and zoning ordinance to support multi-modal transportation, especially walking, bicycling, and transit. | 2020-2022 |
21 | Zero-Emission Urban Villages: Use the comprehensive plan and zoning ordinance to support existing and future mixed-use, higher-density neighborhood “urban village” centers that support zero-emissions pedestrian, bicycle, and other micromobility transportation. | 2020-2022 |
| Action | Description | Timeline |
1 | Sustainability and Resilience Benefits: Prioritize sustainability and resilience benefits when implementing the Integrated Water Management Plan. | 2022-Ongoing |
2 | System-wide Stormwater Model: Create a comprehensive system-wide stormwater hydraulic/hydrologic model to help the city to better understand the drainage infrastructure and inform capital improvement priorities (to address flood resiliency). | 2022-Ongoing |
3 | Watershed Model for Water Supply: Create a comprehensive system-wide watershed model of the water supply reservoir network (to address drought resiliency). | 2022-Ongoing |
4 | Urban Forestry and Stormwater: Include stormwater management improvements and benefits when developing an Urban Forestry Master Plan. | 2020-2025 |
5 | Low Impact Development Standards: Establish regulations and guidelines to require standards on Low Impact Development, stormwater runoff reduction, and green infrastructure in new development and in significant additions and renovations. | 2020-2025 |
6 | Stormwater Utility: Explore creating a stormwater utility to incentivize use of best management practices on private property. | 2025-2030 |
7 | Landscape Practices: Use Integrated Pest Management and organic landscape practices in managing city-owned property to reduce stormwater impacts of fertilizer, herbicides, and pesticides on surface waters. | 2022-Ongoing |
8 | City Green Infrastructure: Identify and implement opportunities for green infrastructure in City facilities and landscapes. | 2022-Ongoing |
9 | Private Green Infrastructure: Promote green infrastructure practices to manage stormwater in private development. | 2025-Ongoing |
10 | Prepare Streams for Climate Change Impacts: Map currently culverted streams and study the potential for daylighting and green infrastructure. | 2025-2030 |
11 | Workforce Development for Green Infrastructure: Develop youth workforce development programs, like the park ranger program, for maintenance of green infrastructure projects. | 2025-2030 |
12 | Landscape Practices: Promote sustainable landscape practices for private property that eliminate or minimize excess fertilizer, herbicide, and pesticide use to private property owners and landscaping contractors. | 2022-Ongoing |
13 | Lakes & Ponds Program: Continue and expand the Lakes & Ponds program and coordinate with initiatives to reduce non-point source pollution to lakes, ponds, and streams. | 2020-Ongoing |
| Action | Description | Timeline |
1 | Waste Management Master Plan: Develop and Implement a Zero Waste Master Plan. | 2020-2050 |
2 | Trash and Recycling Receptacles: Increase the number of and place trash and recycling receptacles strategically in public places. | 2022-Ongoing |
3 | Purchasing Policies: Establish environmentally conscious purchasing policies aimed at reducing waste and toxic materials and promoting use of recyclable materials. | 2020-2025 |
4 | Composting: Expand and initiate programs to divert waste to compost. | 2020-2025 |
5 | Food Waste Elimination: Promote food waste elimination initiatives by WPS, institutions, and businesses and reduce use of disposable food service ware. | 2025-Ongoing |
6 | Reuse Initiatives: Work with community organizations and City departments to organize Swap Shops, Fix It clinics, and similar initiatives. | 2022-Ongoing |
| Action | Description | Timeline |
1 | Existing sites: Protect access to land of existing community gardens and urban farms. | 2022-Ongoing |
2 | New urban agriculture sites: Identify additional locations for community gardens and larger-scale production. | 2022-Ongoing |
3 | Community orchards: Identify potential locations for community orchards in selected public spaces or edges of community gardens. | 2025-Ongoing |
4 | Farm to School: Continue and expand the Farm to School program for WPS, working with the Worcester Food Hub. | 2022-Ongoing |
5 | Gardens in Schools: Integrate school gardens and garden curricula in the Worcester Public Schools. | 2022-Ongoing |
6 | Local food sourcing: Promote local food sourcing by all institutions. | 2022-Ongoing |
7 | Preferential Procurement: Adopt preferential procurement policies to source locally-produced foods. | 2020-2022 |
8 | Resilient Regional System: Develop a plan to enhance the resilience of the regional food supply system. | 2020-2022 |
9 | Indoor Farming: Develop a pilot project with students to develop a sustainable return on investment analysis of indoor farming. | 2020-2025 |
| Action | Description | Timeline |
1 | Procurement Policies: Update the City’s Environmentally Preferable Purchasing Policy. | 2022-Ongoing |
2 | Land Use and Transportation: Implement transportation and land use policies and actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and particulate matter. | 2022-Ongoing |
3 | Toxic Materials Reduction: Encourage local businesses to adopt policies to avoid toxic materials in their operations and products. | 2022-Ongoing |
4 | Brownfields: Continue brownfields remediation programs and policies. | 2022-Ongoing |
5 | Lead Abatement: Continue lead abatement programs, including regular public outreach to increase awareness of the programs. | 2022-Ongoing |
6 | Water Quality and Toxins: Continue and expand water quality programs and partnerships. | 2022-Ongoing |
| Action | Description | Timeline |
1 | Resilience Working Group: Create a climate change resilience working group of municipal staff to coordinate tasks and timelines for priority resilience actions from the MVP, HMP, and other relevant planning groups, such as the Planning and Public Health Departments. | 2022-Ongoing |
2 | Resilience Building Standards: Establish standards for climate resilience in new and rehabilitated buildings. | 2020-2025 |
3 | Resilient Food System: Promote a robust and resilient regional food system. | 2020-2025 |
4 | Transportation: Integrate disaster mitigation into transportation projects | 2022-Ongoing |
5 | Update the Zoning and Wetlands Protection Ordinances: Incorporate Low-Impact-Development and limit impervious surfaces, including modernizing parking requirements. | 2020-2022 |
6 | Best Management Standards: Create BMPs for land clearing and grading | 2020-2022 |
| Action | Description | Timeline |
1 | Integrate Green Worcester goals and strategies into day to day planning. | 2020-2022 |
2 | Comprehensive Plan: Ensure that the City’s new comprehensive plan is informed by the Green Worcester Plan and other relevant plans, as well as a robust community participation program. | 2020-2025 |
3 | Zoning and Development Standards: Ensure that changes to zoning and development standards resulting from the comprehensive plan advance achievement of Worcester’s sustainability and resilience goals. | 2020-2022 |
4 | Policy Development: Use the guidance of the Green Worcester Plan and other frameworks to develop transportation planning, design, and construction policies. | 2020-2025 |
5 | Envision Rating System: Consider using the Envision™ infrastructure rating system to evaluate proposed infrastructure projects for high performance sustainability. | 2020-2025 |
6 | LEED Community: Consider seeking LEED certification as a sustainable community. | 2020-2025 |
7 | Pilot Sustainability District: Designate a pilot “Sustainability District” as an area to test, refine, and promote new sustainability and resilience efforts. | 2020-2025 |
8 | Sustainability Performance Outcomes: Establish sustainability performance outcomes to be met by all new construction or redevelopment projects seeking tax incentives from the City. | 2020-2025 |
9 | Place-Based Neighborhood Planning: Create and implement a program for place-based neighborhood or district planning with community participation. | 2025-Ongoing |
10 | School Curriculum: Integrate sustainability and resilience into the curriculum at all levels in the Worcester Public Schools. | 2020-2025 |
11 | Workforce Development Partners: Convene a working group to develop a framework for a coordinated green jobs framework in Worcester. | 2020-2025 |
12 | Workforce Development for Green Infrastructure: Develop youth workforce development programs, like the park ranger program, for maintenance of green infrastructure projects. | 2025-2030 |
13 | Outreach Strategy: Implement a transparent Green Worcester outreach strategy to include traditional and new media and activities. | 2020-2025 |
