With a strong history of fighting for the climate movement, we have every reason to view newly-elected Governor Maura Healey as an ally in our fight to hold polluters accountable. In collaboration with climate organizations across the state, we reached out to Governor Healey and asked her to include a climate superfund in her budget in her first 100 days.

Here is the letter we delivered to Governor Healey just before she took office:

Dear Governor-Elect Healey,

On behalf of the undersigned organizations and our members and supporters across the Commonwealth, we would like to express our enthusiasm for working together to prepare Massachusetts for climate change and extreme weather events. We recommend establishing a Climate Change Adaptation Superfund by executive order or by inclusion in your proposed budget during your first 100 days in office to support climate adaptation efforts.

As a consistent climate leader, you have demonstrated how fossil fuel companies are culpable for climate change in your suit against Exxon-Mobil. Our endeavors to make polluters pay will continue this work by holding those responsible for the crisis liable for funding solutions. We hope you continue this leadership as governor by establishing this important superfund to build resilience for cities and towns across the Bay State.

On behalf of 350 Massachusetts, Better Future Project will file legislation in an effort to create a climate change adaptation superfund establishing the cost recovery program. It will require companies that have contributed significantly to the buildup of climate-warming greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere to bear a share of the costs of needed infrastructure investment, raising an estimated $10 billion over ten years from the 20 largest polluting companies. This influx of funds will enable the Commonwealth to prepare for the coming climate impacts.

The climate change adaptation superfund will be crucial to support the state’s projected mounting climate costs. Catastrophe modeling shows a significant hurricane in Massachusetts could cause up to $72 billion in damages in coming years. In addition, costs from flooding property damages statewide will be in excess of $60 million annually by 2050. These are far from the only climate impacts that will take severe tolls on our state’s health and wealth. Extreme heat, drought, and unprecedentedly severe weather will add to the toll. We must be prepared and ensure that the responsibility for handling this cost is not passed on to our most vulnerable residents.

The fund will be structured to ensure that the price is not passed on to consumers. The fee is based on past, not current, activity, so it does not impact the ongoing production costs. It is charged to those with the highest past production, leaving some companies that are not subject to it to act as price competitors and rivals for market share. And any attempts to collude to set a higher price would be illegal – and unlikely to attract companies that aren’t covered by the Fund or have a lower pro-rata payment and a market-based incentive to undercut those who raise prices. Instead, the costs will be borne by the corporations and shareholders who have reaped massive profits for decades. And the revenue in the climate change adaptation superfund could, among other purposes, actually help offset costs for consumers during the transition to a clean, renewable energy future.

This effort is part of a nationwide campaign with deep local support to fund climate change adaptation with fossil fuel profits. Similar state-level campaigns in Maryland and Vermont are modeled on legislation (NY S.9417) introduced in the New York Assembly last session. Legislation is being reintroduced on the federal level by Senators Van Hollen, Sanders, Markey, Whitehouse, Warren, and Merkley. 

In Massachusetts, 78% of residents support holding big oil and gas companies responsible. The undersigned organizations include community representatives across the Commonwealth, including the environmental, labor, faith, indigenous, and business communities.

We look forward to working in partnership with you on climate change issues in the 2023-2024 legislative cycle and appreciate your consideration of a Climate Change Adaptation Superfund for Massachusetts.

Sincerely,

350 Massachusetts

Sierra Club MA Chapter

SlingShot

Unitarian Universalist Mass Action

Southwest Boston Community Development Corporation 

Climate Action Now

Climate Healing Chorus

FCCPR Climate Crisis Task Force

350 MA Central Mass

Charles River Watershed Association

Massachusetts Climate Action Network (MCAN)

Progressive Massachusetts 

Elders Climate Action Mass.

Energize Framingham

And you (sign on by filling out the form on the right side of this webpage!)