GOV. MAURA HEALEY’S administration launched a $1 million public awareness campaign on Monday as part of a larger state plan for reducing the state’s carbon emissions to net zero by 2050.
The “Climate Action is for All of Us” media campaign will attempt to educate residents on how they can participate in climate initiatives like electric vehicle adoption or residential solar programs. Ads will run on billboards and buses across the state starting in April and on various social media websites. Healey administration officials said they have spent $850,000 to date on research and ad buys.
The goal is to build buy-in for an ambitious program to reduce carbon emission over the next several decades. “Tackling climate change is going to take all of us in Massachusetts working together,” said a YouTube video on the state’s website.
This public awareness campaign comes as a direct result of a November 2022 report by the Clean Heat Commission. The report recommended that the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs identify gaps in public awareness and the scale of public outreach needed to align with the state’s decarbonization goals. It also recommended that the administration commit financial resources to a public awareness campaign.
“So many people want to make a difference but don’t know where to start. ‘Climate Action is for All of Us’ provides an easy resource for our residents to get engaged and protect our communities,” said a statement issued by Rebecca Tepper, the secretary of energy and environmental affairs.
Massachusetts already offers energy rebates and incentives for homeowners to make energy efficient decisions through the Mass Save program, which is run by utilities and funded by assessments on ratepayers. The state also offers rebates ranging from $3,500 to $6,000 on purchases of electric vehicles.