New Research

Reports by Geography

Neighborhood/City of Boston

Metro Boston/Massachusetts/New England

National/International

New Research

Environment America, Global Warming Solutions that Work (06/2008): Describes 20 strategies being used around the world to reduce carbon emissions that can be implemented at a larger scale and in more areas.

Boston Municipal Research Bureau, The Greening of Boston  (05/2008): Popular Science Magazine recently ranked Boston as the nation’s 3rd Greenest city based on a series of factors such as renewable energy, public transit and green buildings.  This Bureau Update highlights the policies and strategies in place that make Boston a national leader in sustainability.

Urban Ecology Institute, State of the Urban Forest (Spring, 2008): Provides the results of Boston's first-ever urban tree canopy analysis and street tree inventory. Boston's tree canopy cover 29% of the city's land area, and from 6% to 49% in individual neighborhoods.

Environmental League of Massachusetts, Green Budget FY2009 (02/2008): Outlines the Environmental League's state budget goals for FY2009, with a focus on fully funding existing programs that have been under funded since budget cuts earlier in the decade.

Germanwatch, Results of the Climate Change Performance Index, 2008 (12/2007): Among the 56 countries studied, the United States ranked 55nd on this index, which combines emissions trends, emission levels, and climate policy.

New England Climate Change Coalition, Climate Change Action: Report Card 2007 (11/2007): Massachusetts' grade on environmental action increased from a C- in 2006 to a B- in 2007, but needs to do more to meet voluntary emission reduction goals set in 2001.

Massport, Boston Logan International Airport 2006 Environmental Data Report (09/2007): Annual report of environmental impacts of Logan Airport.

Metropolitan Beaches Commission, Beaches We Can Be Proud Of (04/2007): Report examines the condition of 14 area beaches and found a $3.2 million annual shortfall in beach maintenance/operating costs.

Neighborhood/City of Boston

Boston Municipal Research Bureau, The Greening of Boston  (05/2008): Popular Science Magazine recently ranked Boston as the nation’s 3rd Greenest city based on a series of factors such as renewable energy, public transit and green buildings.  This Bureau Update highlights the policies and strategies in place that make Boston a national leader in sustainability.

Urban Ecology Institute, State of the Urban Forest (Spring, 2008): Provides the results of Boston's first-ever urban tree canopy analysis and street tree inventory. Boston's tree canopy cover 29% of the city's land area, and from 6% to 49% in individual neighborhoods.

Massport, Boston Logan International Airport 2006 Environmental Data Report (09/2007): Annual report of environmental impacts of Logan Airport.

Metropolitan Beaches Commission,Beaches We Can Be Proud Of (04/2007): Report examines the condition of 14 area beaches and found a $3.2 million annual shortfall in beach maintenance/operating costs.

Climate's Long-Term Impacts on Metro Boston (CLIMB) Final Report (2007): Presents the key findings in seven areas of public welfare in respect to Metro Boston's long-term climate trends and possible effects of climate change in the year 2100.

Save the Harbor/Save the Bay,Boston’s Harbor and Waterfront: A Renaissance Underway (06/2005): findings on access, connections, activity, diversity and use of the waterfront and its economic landscape; an initial framework of indicators for measuring success; and a strategy for today and the future. Data file and public opinion poll available on the Save the Harbor/Save the Bay website.

US Environmental Protection Agency,  Charles River Report Card (05/2005): progress towards the goal of complete fishability and swimability by 2005, based on bacterial water quality. Grade for 2005: B+.

Mayor Menino’s Green Building Task Force Report (Fall 2004): an analysis of how Boston benefits from Green Buildings, including a range of cost reductions, new jobs and business opportunities, as well as case studies of successful green buildings.

Metro Boston/Massachusetts/New England

Environmental League of Massachusetts, Green Budget FY2009 (02/2008): Outlines the Environmental League's state budget goals for FY2009, with a focus on fully funding existing programs that have been under funded since budget cuts earlier in the decade.

New England Climate Change Coalition, Climate Change Action: Report Card 2007 (11/2007): Massachusetts' grade on environmental action increased from a C- in 2006 to a B- in 2007, but needs to do more to meet voluntary emission reduction goals set in 2001.

Commonwealth of Massachusetts,The State of Our Environment 2006 (12/2006) (pdf): Annual report on progress in Massachusetts on air quality, waste removal, water and land conservation, and protection of the coasts.

Mystic River Watershed Association, Mystic River Watershed Assessment and Action Plan (12/2005): a collaborative regional plan covering water quality, flooding, habitat preservation, and land use planning in the Mystic River watershed.

Rappaport Institute for Greater Boston, Policy Notes, Volume 2, Number 2 (06/2005): highlights policy-related research about Greater Boston, including New England's looming water shortage.

SustainLane US City Rankings (05/2005): relative levels of sustainability across 12 categories for 25 US cities, including Boston. Boston ranked 12th.

New England Climate Coalition, Getting on Track: New England’s Rising Global Warming Emissions and How to Reverse the Trend (02/2005): carbon dioxide emission trends before and after 2001, including a focus on Massachusetts’ progress and next steps.

Massachusetts Audubon Society,Some Anticipated Consequences of Global Warming: Implications for the Nature of Massachusetts (pdf) (02/2005): Relying on two different global warming models, over the next century Massachusetts will become warmer and wetter, and sea levels are likely to rise.

Massachusetts Executive Office of Environmental Affairs, Massachusetts Water Policy (11/2004): challenges, principles, and recommendations from the State’s Water Policy Task Force.

Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management, Waves of Change: The Massachusetts Ocean Management Task Force Report and Recommendations, Volume 1 (03/2004): areas of analysis include governance, management tools, scientific understanding, and public outreach; six principles for ocean management; and recommendations, with plans for implementation.

Massachusetts Ocean Management Task Force Technical Report, Volume 2 (03/2004): a compendium of separate ocean resource briefings, with chapters on the public trust doctrine, traditional and emerging ocean uses, data trends and needs, and state and federal regulations.

National/International

Environment America, Global Warming Solutions that Work (06/2008): Describes 20 strategies being used around the world to reduce carbon emissions that can be implemented at a larger scale and in more areas.

Germanwatch, Results of the Climate Change Performance Index, 2008 (12/2007): Among the 56 countries studied, the United States ranked 55nd on this index, which combines emissions trends, emission levels, and climate policy.

Germanwatch, Results of the Climate Change Performance Index, 2007, (11/2006):Among the 56 countries studied, the United States ranked 53rd on this index, which combines emissions trends, emission levels, and climate policy.

World Wildlife Fund & The Global Footprint Network, Living Planet Report 2006 (10/2006): Using 2003 data, this reports that the world is putting extreme pressure on its resources, and that this pressure is increasing. The United Arab Emirates and the United States lead in per capita use of resources, with the U.S. and China as the highest total use of resources.

National Climatic Data Center (NOAA, US Dept. of Commerce), Climate of 2005 – in Historical Perspective (1/2006): the annual summary of last year’s weather, revealing that 2005 was the second-warmest year on record, and including discussions of long-term trends such as global temperature and drought.

For past Environment research, visit the 2004 Boston Indicators Report.