Environmental League Of Massachusetts Inc

THE ORGANIZATION'S MISSION IS TO ADVOCATE FOR POLICY THAT MEETS THE SCALE AND URGENCY OF OUR ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES.

THE ENVIRONMENTAL LEAGUE OF MASSACHUSETTS (ELM) ADVOCATES FOR POLICY THAT MEETS THE SCALE AND URGENCY OF OUR ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES.AS A MASSACHUSETTS-BASED ORGANIZATION THAT ENGAGES IN ADVOCACY ACROSS A FULL SPECTRUM OF CLIMATE, ENVIRONMENTAL, AND CLEAN ENERGY ISSUES, ELM PLAYS A CRUCIAL ROLE IN COORDINATING AND ELEVATING THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMUNITY TO PUSH FOR POLICY CHANGE AND REGULATORY OVERSIGHT.SINCE 1898, ELM HAS BEEN INFLUENCING THE POLICY PROCESS TO DRIVE LASTING CHANGE. OVER THE YEARS, ELM'S AGENDA HAS EVOLVED TO MEET THE MOST PRESSING CHALLENGES WE FACE. WE HAVE SUCCESSFULLY ADVOCATED FOR FOREST CONSERVATION, TOXICS REDUCTION, POLLUTION PREVENTION, WATER RESOURCE PROTECTION, SMART GROWTH DEVELOPMENT POLICIES, ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE, AND CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION. ELM'S EARLY WORK INCLUDED THE PROMOTION OF SUSTAINABLE FORESTRY PRACTICES STATEWIDE. IN THE 1920S AND 1930S, THE ORGANIZATION SUCCESSFULLY PETITIONED THE LEGISLATURE TO PURCHASE MORE THAN 300,000 ACRES OF STATE FORESTS, LEADING TO THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE MASSACHUSETTS STATE PARK SYSTEM AND SETTING AN EXAMPLE THAT INSPIRED THE CREATION OF STATE FORESTS NATIONWIDE. IN THE 1950S, ELM WORKED SUCCESSFULLY FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF TOWN CONSERVATION COMMISSIONS, ACHIEVED VIA THE CONSERVATION COMMISSION ACT OF 1957. WITH THE EMERGENCE OF ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH CONCERNS IN THE 1970S AND 80S, ELM BECAME A STRONG ADVOCATE FOR THE MASSACHUSETTS TOXIC USE REDUCTION ACT (THE FIRST SUCH ACT PASSED IN THE COUNTRY), AND WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN ADVOCATING FOR SUFFICIENT FUNDS TO ENABLE ITS IMPLEMENTATION. TODAY, ELM CONTINUES TO BUILD ON THIS LEGACY OF IMPACT. ELM'S CURRENT POLICY PRIORITIES REPRESENT THE KEY OPPORTUNITIES TO DECARBONIZE THE ECONOMY AND KEEP MASSACHUSETTS ON TRACK FOR AN EQUITABLE NET ZERO FUTURE BY 2050. OUR TOP SIX PRIORITIES CURRENTLY INCLUDE: 1) EXPANDING RESPONSIBLY-DEVELOPED OFFSHORE WIND: OFFSHORE WIND IS KEY TO AN EFFICIENT, ECONOMICAL, CARBON-FREE ENERGY SYSTEM FOR NEW ENGLAND BY 2050. INCREASING THE REGION'S OFFSHORE WIND RESOURCES AND NURTURING A GROWING, EQUITABLE, AND INCLUSIVE INDUSTRY IN NEW ENGLAND WILL CREATE THOUSANDS OF JOBS, SAVE RATEPAYERS BILLIONS OF DOLLARS, AND IMPROVE AIR QUALITY AND PUBLIC HEALTH. ELM ALSO FOUNDED THE NEW ENGLAND FOR OFFSHORE WIND COALITION.2) MINIMIZING TRANSPORTATION EMISSIONS: TO REACH THE STATE'S LEGALLY MANDATED EMISSIONS REDUCTION REQUIREMENTS, MASSACHUSETTS MUST ADDRESS THE TRANSPORTATION SECTOR. ELM'S TRANSPORTATION ADVOCACY FOCUSES ON VEHICLE AND TRANSIT ELECTRIFICATION, SMART-GROWTH POLICIES AND MARKET-BASED SOLUTIONS LIKE THE TRANSPORTATION AND CLIMATE INITIATIVE.3) IMPLEMENTING NET-ZERO BUILDINGS: BUILDINGS ARE THE SECOND-LARGEST SOURCE OF GHG EMISSIONS IN MASSACHUSETTS. SETTING STRONG STANDARDS FOR NEW CONSTRUCTION AND INVESTING IN RETROFITS FOR EXISTING STRUCTURES WILL DECREASE EMISSIONS FROM THE SECTOR, IMPROVE PUBLIC HEALTH AND CREATE SIGNIFICANT JOB GROWTH.4) MITIGATING WASTE: MUNICIPALITIES IN MASSACHUSETTS CANNOT AFFORD RECYCLING. THE STATE IS RAPIDLY RUNNING OUT OF LANDFILL CAPACITY, BURNING WASTE IS HARMFUL TO RESPIRATORY HEALTH, AND MOST INCINERATORS ARE SITED IN ALREADY OVERBURDENED COMMUNITIES. ELM IS WORKING TO EXTEND PRODUCER RESPONSIBILITY FOR WASTE, INCENTIVIZING THOSE WHO GENERATE PACKAGING TO USE IT MORE EFFICIENTLY TO REDUCE WHAT ENTERS THE WASTE STREAM. THIS PROGRAM WOULD ALSO GENERATE MUCH-NEEDED REVENUE TO SUPPORT MUNICIPAL RECYCLING.5) ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE: ELM IS AN ACTIVE PARTICIPANT ON THE ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE LEGISLATIVE TABLE. CURRENT PRIORITIES INCLUDE REFORMING THE ENERGY FACILITIES SITING BOARD TO ENSURE ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE COMMUNITIES ARE REPRESENTED IN THE DECISION-MAKING PROCESS.6) RESOURCING STATE ENVIRONMENTAL AGENCIES: MASSACHUSETTS ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL AGENCIES SUFFER FROM A LONG HISTORY OF UNDERFUNDING. DEPARTMENTS AND PROGRAMS LACK THE STAFF AND RESOURCES TO FULFILL THEIR MISSIONS. ELM'S ANNUAL "GREEN BUDGET" ADVOCACY AIMS TO SET THE STATE ON A PATH TOWARD STAFFING AND FUNDING THESE AGENCIES SO THEY CAN MEET THEIR CURRENT AND FUTURE RESPONSIBILITIES. PARTNERSHIPSELM WORKS WITH A WIDE RANGE OF NONPROFIT, CORPORATE, AND GOVERNMENT PARTNERS TO PROTECT THE MASSACHUSETTS ENVIRONMENT. BELOW ARE KEY COALITIONS AND PARTNERS:- CORPORATE COUNCIL: THE ELM CORPORATE COUNCIL BUILDS A BRIDGE BETWEEN THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMUNITY AND LEADING MASSACHUSETTS COMPANIES THAT ARE COMMITTED TO THE ENVIRONMENT. THIS GROUP ENGAGES WITH GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS TO SUPPORT KEY ISSUES THAT IMPROVE THE ECONOMIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY OF THE COMMONWEALTH. MEMBERSHIP HAS GROWN TO 24 MEMBER COMPANIES THAT SHARE THE VIEW THAT A HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT AND A HEALTHY ECONOMY ARE NOT AT ODDS, BUT ARE MUTUALLY REINFORCING. - TRANSPORTATION FOR MASSACHUSETTS (T4MA): T4MA IS A BROAD COALITION COMMITTED TO BUILDING A 21ST CENTURY TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM FOR MASSACHUSETTS. ELM CURRENTLY SERVES AS THE CHAIR OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE. -NEW ENGLAND FOR OFFSHORE WIND: ELM FOUNDED AND LEADS THE NEW ENGLAND FOR OFFSHORE WIND COALITION. THIS BROAD-BASED COALITION OF NEARLY 100 MEMBERS IS COMMITTED TO COMBATTING CLIMATE CHANGE BY DEEPENING REGIONAL COLLABORATION ACROSS NEW ENGLAND AND ACCELERATING THE PACE OF PROCUREMENTS FOR RESPONSIBLY-DEVELOPED OFFSHORE WIND. - NATIONAL WILDLIFE FEDERATION (NWF): ELM IS THE MASSACHUSETTS AFFILIATE OF NWF. ELM WORKS CLOSELY WITH NWF ON A VARIETY OF ISSUES, INCLUDING EFFORTS TO COMBAT CLIMATE CHANGE AND TO PROTECT WILDLIFE THROUGH RESPONSIBLY DEVELOPED OFFSHORE WIND. ELM BECAME NWF'S MASSACHUSETTS AFFILIATE IN 1992.