The American public has become more aware during the 2010s of the damage wrought by climate change. From droughts in the west to extreme weather in the east, a rapidly changing climate has already made its footprint in the United States. The extreme winter of 2015 is a reminder that Massachusetts will not escape unscathed from this global phenomenon. Cities around the world are responding as best they can to these changes, even as a global strategy to deal with climate change remains elusive. **Austin Blackmon**, the City of Boston’s Chief for the Environment and Energy, discusses the role of cities in combating climate change. Blackmon represented Boston at the 2015 Paris Climate Conference (COP21), where the city received a prestigious C40 award for “Smart Cities and Smart Community Engagement.” How has Boston become a global leader in the fight against climate change? What more must be done to stymie this environmental crisis? (Photo: [Flickr/Aris Gionis](https://www.flickr.com/photos/aris_gionis/5133753470/in/photolist-8PDQ3S-d8nkZu-eqs2C1-5wAYrT-52kLwT-hBUGuD-8XeJyn-5wAThT-8Xfi34-8PCxhj-d8cgf-MqkG2-7bdz2k-3m6gup-9yZKcK-8NAfr9-jLYbEc-8k6dn6-6WfdUe-dZjiUt-qGQEWS-jBwsND-d1aC4N-7RUSrR-d8aT8-hBTRrj-gChztm-djPpS-epvNTc-6ehjsY-8kk4Cz-qhgUgb-5DV1N6-8NTWNm-bPsrYa-4jjkrD-49DezA-d8aJj-8ma4eC-GDRjB-6qo9fz-2TfNft-4VPLYg-ec7AE2-bSxZep-8ma4of-5AfwbM-omDYN-4JkGQc-vSoByz "Boston Environment Photo"), image cropped)
