Mayor Wu Celebrates Boston’s Climate Champions at the 2025 Climate Leaders Awards

Mayor Michelle Wu and the City of Boston’s Environment Department hosted the inaugural Boston Climate Leader Awards at Millennium Partners’ Winthrop Center, honoring individuals, organizations, and institutions making extraordinary contributions to the city’s climate and sustainability goals. The event brought together civic leaders, community partners, advocates, businesses, and innovators to recognize climate action across buildings, energy, climate resilience, and environmental protection.

“Our first-ever Climate Leader Award recipients represent the best of Boston’s commitment to environmental justice and community-driven action,” said Mayor Michelle Wu. “From neighborhood organizers to major institutions, these leaders are building a more sustainable, resilient, and equitable city for all. Their innovation and passion power Boston’s climate leadership and fuel our collective progress to confront the climate crisis head-on.”

Awardees were selected for their exemplary efforts to reduce emissions, prepare for climate impacts, and protect Boston’s natural resources. This community-led process received 117 nominations for various individuals and organizations. Applicants went through multiple iterations of review by various City of Boston departments. 

The Emerald Skyline Award (Buildings) - Awardees decarbonizing Boston’s new and existing buildings.

• The winner of the Emerald Skyline Award in the Business and Institution Category is: Boston University. 
• Boston University is leading on climate action with a goal of net zero direct emissions by 2040, already 65% of the way there, powered entirely by renewable electricity—including its own wind farm—and home to Boston’s largest fossil fuel–free, carbon-neutral building, the Duan Family Center for Computing & Data Sciences. 
• The winner of the Emerald Skyline Award in the Community Engagement Category is: LISC Massachusetts.
• LISC Massachusetts is building resilient, equitable communities by supporting sustainable affordable housing, clean energy careers, and local solutions, partnering with nearly 100 housing providers and training over 60 households for green jobs.
• The winner of the Emerald Skyline Award in the Individual Category is: Caitlin Robillard, Allston Brighton CDC.
• Caitlin has led efforts to secure over $16 million in climate funding to decarbonize affordable housing, cutting energy use by 64% across four buildings and generating over 225 kW of solar power, advancing climate and housing affordability in Boston. 

The Boston Bright Future Award (Energy) - Awardees transforming the energy grid to more renewable sources. 

• The winner of the The Boston Bright Future Award in the Business and Institution Category is Found Energy.
• Found Energy is a Charlestown-based MIT spinout, transforming unrecyclable aluminum scrap into zero-emission heat and hydrogen to decarbonize heavy industry, scaling its clean energy systems over 100-fold since 2022 and proudly advancing a circular, Boston-built climate solution.
• The winner of the The Boston Bright Future Award in the Community Organization Category is: IBEW Local 103 - The Greater Boston Joint Apprenticeship Training Center.
• IBEW’s primary mission is to develop the most skilled, responsible and responsive Electricians and Technicians in the United States of America with a particular focus on efficient and sustainable buildings. 
• The winner of the The Boston Bright Future Award in the Individual Category is: Dr. Anna Goldman, BMC/Clean Power Prescription Program.
• Dr. Anna Goldman’s Clean Power Prescription Program at BMC uses solar energy to reduce electricity costs for patients, advancing climate resilience, energy equity, and healthcare solutions that align with Boston’s renewable energy and climate justice goals.

Resilient Boston Award (Climate Preparedness and Resilience) - Awardees working to prepare our City for the impacts of climate change, including sea level rise, severe weather events, and extreme heat. 

• The winner of the The Clean, Green City Award in the Business and Institution Category is: Boston Building Resources.
• Boston Building Resources has been a cornerstone of Boston’s circular economy for over 30 years, diverting more than $2 million in reusable materials annually from the waste stream while empowering residents with the skills to maintain affordable, climate-friendly homes. 
• The winner of The Clean, Green City Award in the Community Organization Category is: Mass Audubon's Boston Nature Center.
• Mass Audubon’s Boston Nature Center in Mattapan achieved net zero in 2023 and continues to lead on climate and environmental justice, restoring 67 acres of urban wildlife habitat, planting microforests, and educating Boston youth and residents on sustainable living and climate action.
• The winner of The Clean, Green City Award in the Individual Category is: Bill Masterson of Tree Eastie.
• Tree Eastie is an all-volunteer nonprofit, which has helped plant over 500 trees in East Boston and engaged thousands of residents, advancing environmental justice and cooling a community on the frontlines of heat, flooding, and pollution.

The Clean, Green City Award (Environmental Protection) - Awardees working to reduce waste in Boston, and/or working to protect the natural environment. 

• The winner of Resilient Boston Award in the Business and Institution Category is: A Better City.
• A Better City brings together nearly 130 businesses and institutions to build a greener, more resilient Boston, partnering on climate efforts like B-COOL, PowerCorps Boston, Deployables Day, and BERDO, and proving the power of public-private collaboration to drive lasting change. 
• The winner of Resilient Boston Award in the Community Organization Category is: Boston Harbor Now.
• Boston Harbor Now is leading the charge on coastal resilience—from reimagining the 43-mile Harborwalk to shaping regional and statewide climate strategies—advancing bold, community-driven solutions to protect Boston’s shoreline and future generations. 
• The winner of Resilient Boston Award in the Individual Category is: Chancellor Marcelo Suárez-Orozco of UMass Boston.
• Chancellor Marcelo Suárez-Orozco of UMass Boston is spearheading a global effort on climate resilience, linking local and international action through regional summits, including one in Boston, and shaping a worldwide framework for a more sustainable future. 

“The leaders we recognized tonight are showing us what climate leadership looks like at every scale—from energy efficiency retrofits and green jobs training, to urban tree planting and climate-smart healthcare,” said Brian Swett, Chief Climate Officer. “Accomplishing our climate agenda in Boston requires leadership in every corner of the City, and we’re proud to uplift their work and deepen our partnerships as we accelerate toward our carbon neutrality goals.”

Nominees were evaluated based on their sustainability impact, climate innovation, and benefits to environmental justice communities. The award program reflects Boston’s whole-of-government approach to climate action, prioritizing community collaboration and bold, systems-level change.

“We launched the Climate Leader Awards to shine a light on the people and organizations advancing real solutions,” said Oliver Sellers-Garcia, Environment Commissioner And Green New Deal Director. “Every honoree is proving that Boston’s climate future is not just possible—it’s already in progress, whether it’s a start-up with a promising new idea or a long-standing institution stewarding our environment.”

Boston continues to lead by example with bold initiatives that make climate action tangible and visible in our communities. Programs like the newly launched Boston Energy Saver, the City’s innovative small building energy efficiency upgrade initiative, and net zero carbon zoning for new development are pushing Boston toward a cleaner energy future. At the same time, award-winning climate-resilient parks like Langone Park and Martin’s Park are transforming public spaces into models of green infrastructure and coastal protection, making neighborhoods more vibrant, accessible, and prepared for a changing climate.