Sonia Chang-Díaz statement on Massachusetts Senate climate bill

Sonia Chang-Díaz statement on Massachusetts Senate climate bill

Calls for more urgency in climate action from Beacon Hill

BOSTON, MA - State senator and gubernatorial candidate Sonia Chang-Díaz released the following statement in response to the debate and passage of An Act Driving Climate Policy Forward:

“If we’re serious about addressing climate change in Massachusetts, we need to do better. I voted in favor of today’s Senate bill to advance some meaningful provisions to combat the climate crisis. This bill is the boldest climate plan proposed at the state level this year — and we need to be honest: it’s still not adequate to the scale of the problem. It fails to invest a single new cent in electrifying or incentivizing public transportation and only scratches the surface of cutting building emissions.

“We can and we must act with more urgency. We have the resources to electrify the MBTA bus fleet by 2030, make all MBTA & RTA buses fare free, expand and electrify our rail systems, and create tens of thousands of jobs at the same time. And there’s no reason we need to stop at piloting renewable building codes as the Senate bill does, when we could be ramping up the transition to renewable buildings across the state. The only thing we’re missing is political courage. Fixing that starts with the Governor’s office.”

Chang-Díaz released her platform for a Green New Deal for Massachusetts in December, which includes a sweeping and rapid approach to combating the climate crisis at the state level. The plan includes benchmarks to meet all of Massachusetts’ electricity needs with 100% renewable, carbon-free energy by 2030l; eliminate all carbon emissions from new buildings by 2030 and transition existing buildings to become zero-carbon by 2045; and expand, electrify, and make fare-free public transit systems across the state, including establishing East-West rail and robust regional transit networks. 

The plan also details that the Chang-Díaz Administration will immediately remove fares on all MBTA and RTA buses in its first budget, halt the purchase of any new fossil fuel-powered buses, and produce and execute plans for full MBTA bus fleet electrification by 2030 and full electrification of the RTA system and Commuter Rail by 2040, with three Commuter Rail lines electrified within the first three years of her administration.

Chang-Díaz’s opponent in the Democratic race, Attorney General Maura Healey, has not released any plan to address the climate crisis.

About Sonia Chang-Díaz:

Sonia was elected the Commonwealth's first Latina & Asian-American State Senator in 2008 and quickly became a driving force behind many of the state’s biggest progressive reforms — including landmark $1.5 billion progressive education funding reforms, criminal justice reform, LGBT equal rights, and police reform and accountability. For more information about Sonia Chang-Díaz and her campaign for Governor, please visit www.soniachangdiaz.com.