Massachusetts has First Ever Climate Chief
In Boston Massachusetts, on the first day of her administration, Governor Maura Healey signed an executive order to create the position of Climate Chief, and in the same executive order, created an Office of Climate Innovation and Resilience within the Governor’s Office. This brand new role of Climate Chief has been filled by Melissa Hoffer. This is a huge accomplishment as Massachusetts is the first state in the United States to create such a role.
“The climate crisis is Massachusetts’ greatest challenge, but there is enormous opportunity in our response… I’m filing this Executive Order today, on the first full day of the Healey-Driscoll Administration, because we have no time to delay. It’s essential that we begin coordinating our climate policy across all state agencies and all communities in Massachusetts so that we can make the progress we so urgently need and drive our clean energy economy.” - Governor Healey.
Photo by Ben McLeod on UnsplashThe new Office of Climate Innovation and Resilience will ultimately be responsible for the state’s climate plans, mitigation actins as well as policy procedures. From the official press release by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, this new office , “is charged with harnessing all of the resources and authority available to the Governor and the executive department to advance the Commonwealth’s climate innovation, mitigation, adaptation and resilience policies. The Office is led by the Climate Chief, who is appointed by and reports to the Governor and serves as an officer within the Governor’s cabinet. The Climate Chief is the principal policy advisor to the Governor on all matters relating to climate and leads the development and implementation of policy across executive department agencies and offices.”
“The establishment of Climate Chief and the Office of Climate Innovation and Resilience is critical to Massachusetts’ future… Climate change impacts all aspects of our lives, and it’s essential that we are coordinating our response across the entire government and the entire state. The action Governor Healey is taking today is putting Massachusetts on the path to a better, healthier, more equitable future.” - Climate Chief Melissa Hoffer.
This represents a landmark decision of the state of Massachusetts and sets a new standard for climate action and roles for the rest of the United States.
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