Massport, whose vast aviation and maritime shipping industry has faced criticism for its environmental and health impacts on nearby communities, is now looking to hire a top official to lead the agency’s effort to cut carbon emissions across its ports.
The new role of chief climate and resilience officer will also focus on preparing the ports for impacts of climate change, such as rising sea levels and extreme weather.
“The role will not only strengthen our ability to mitigate climate risks but also foster a culture of excellence and prioritize sustainability and measurable outcomes,” Massport CEO Rich Davey said in a prepared statement.
The agency’s creation of this position comes as increasing health research points to emissions causing respiratory illnesses, heart disease and cancer in frontline port communities — issues covered over the past year in an ongoing investigation by the GBH News Center for Investigative Reporting.
Just two months ago, state lawmakers passed an ambitious climate bill that also revised Massport’s charter, requiring the agency focus on greenhouse gas emissions and impact on local communities.
In celebrating the new role, Melissa Hoffer, the state’s climate chief, pointed to Massport’s goals to decarbonize facets of its aviation and shipping ports, including an effort to build shore power for its growing cruise ship industry.
Massport significantly scaled back its shore power plans after failing to land a $280 million grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Their new plan has raised financial questions about whether it can execute the project with only a $60 million investment that also lacks a backup solar energy source described in their grant application to the EPA.
Massport has not yet responded to questions about how the pay range for a new climate chief or how much progress the agency has made on its 2031 goals for net zero emissions at Logan International Airport, Conley Container Terminal and Flynn Cruiseport in Boston, and Hanscom Field airport in Bedford.
Environmental watchdogs such as the Conservation Law Foundation are welcoming Massport’s announcement.
“By acknowledging and addressing the climate vulnerability of its facilities, Massport can protect not merely its own operations and infrastructure but also the health and safety of surrounding environmental justice communities that are hit first and worse by extreme weather,” Brad Campbell, Conservation Law Foundation CEO, wrote.
