I’ve been feeling down these last weeks, given the anticipated large-scale reduction in federal spending on climate and sustainability solutions. I believe a prosperous future for America requires success in four main areas: AI, autonomous electric vehicles fully integrated with computing devices like phones and computers, energy independence (including solar, wind, hydro, and nuclear), and strong worldwide alliances. Addressing the climate crisis demands success in three of these four areas, maybe all four, and recent federal setbacks have been disheartening.
Luckily, I recently attended the ResilientMass Summit 2025 in Boston, and I’m glad I did. While I’m ashamed of the current administration’s abandonment of many climate change initiatives championed by the previous administration, I found it heartening to see Massachusetts fully committed to its climate agenda, even in the face of dwindling federal funds.
Here are some highlights and key takeaways from the ResilientMass Summit.
- The summit successfully brought together key Massachusetts leaders (Gov. Healey, Mayor Wu, Chancellor Suárez-Orozco) and a diverse range of stakeholders to advance the state’s ResilientMass Plan. Discussions were grounded in the MAST (mitigation, adaptation, societal transformation) framework. (I encourage you to look up the plan and framework—you can easily find them with an online search.)
- The event served dual roles. It acted as a follow-up reporting session on commitments made at the 2024 Vatican climate summit and served as the official launchpad for 10 global regional climate resilience summits occurring throughout 2025. This strategically positions Massachusetts as a leader and model for subnational climate action on an international stage. By partnering with the Vatican, Massachusetts—alongside California—is one of two states recognized by the Vatican for climate leadership. This connection is significant, potentially influencing the Vatican’s network of 1.6 billion people.
- Gov. Healey announced a significant proposed investment of $200 million targeting the upgrade of thousands of undersized culverts and small bridges statewide to enhance resilience against increasing flood risks. This funding could potentially help us address several problematic culverts right here in Harvard.
- Mayor Wu highlighted Boston’s landmark net zero carbon zoning ordinance for new large buildings, which mandates net-zero emissions upon opening, starting this summer. It was genuinely encouraging to see our largest city taking such strong action.
- The absolute necessity of collaboration emerged as a central, recurring theme throughout the summit. This includes public-private partnerships, intermunicipal cooperation, global-local linkages, academic-policy integration, and community engagement. When it comes to the climate crisis, the interconnectedness of our efforts was emphasized in all sessions. We are truly all in this together.
- Breakout sessions focused on a wide array of critical resilience topics: the practical application and validation of nature-based solutions, the intersection of climate change and health (including mental health and climate anxiety), the vital role of Indigenous stewardship and knowledge, the importance of youth engagement, and the contributions of climate tech innovation.
- The event concluded by outlining clear next steps within a multiyear international framework. These steps link the Massachusetts discussions to the upcoming global regional summits and a culminating 2026 Vatican meeting aimed at developing a master plan for action, potentially influencing global climate policy forums like the UN climate change conferences.
Perhaps the most important takeaway for me was seeing Gov. Healey attend the summit with nearly her entire cabinet. The governor and many cabinet members actively participated in the sessions, and I believe this level of solidarity and high-level engagement set a collaborative tone for the day. In fact, a strong emphasis was placed on implementing a “whole-of-government” approach, embedding climate resilience considerations across all state agencies beyond environmental departments, including housing, public health, transportation, and insurance. We need to adopt a similar approach here in Harvard if we are to follow the state’s lead.
If you’ve been feeling down about the direction of climate action in the U.S., know this: You are not alone, and you live in a state that remains fully committed to being on the leading edge of the climate, sustainability, and adaptability changes the world urgently needs.
Rich Marcello is a member of the Climate Initiative Committee. In writing his latest novel, “The Means of Keeping,” he spent several years researching the climate crisis.
