Climate Change Action Timeline

• Association to Preserve Cape Cod (APCC) founded, initially as the Association for the Preservation of Cape Cod

  1968

• Cape Land Trusts established (varying times across the Cape)

  1970

• Woods Hole Research Center formed

  1985

• Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) created

  1988

• Waquoit Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve designated

  1988

• Climate Action Network (CAN-International) formed

  1989

• United States Climate Action Network (USCAN) formed

  1989

• Congress passes the Global Change Research Act of 1990

  1990

• IPCC releases first Assessment Report

  1990

• Cape Cod Commission established

  1990

• First Regional Policy Plan

  1991

• United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change adopted

  1992

• Truro Energy Committee established

  1992

• Chatham joins Community Rating System

  1992

• Orleans joins Community Rating System

  1993

• Barnstable County Energy Management Plan published

  1994

• IPCC publishes Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories

  1994

• Harwich joins Community Rating System

  1995

• Barnstable County Regional Energy Committee formed (later became Cape Light Compact)

  1995

• Mashpee National Wildlife Refuge established

  1995

• IPCC releases second Assessment Report

  1996

• Three Bays Preservation formed (now known as the Barnstable Clean Water Coalition)

  1996

• Kyoto Protocol adopted

  1997

• Cape Light Compact (CLC) formed

  1997

• EPA publishes the first U.S. GHG Inventory for 1990-1995

  1997

• MA Restructuring Act enabled towns to collaborate on energy efficiency

  1997

• First Massachusetts State Hazard Mitigation Plan

  1998

• Cape Cod Land Bank created

  1998

• Cape & Islands Renewable Energy Collaborative (CIRenew) established

  2000

• Community Preservation Act passed

  2000

• Massachusetts Climate Action Network (MCAN) established

  2000

• First National Climate Assessment released

  2000

• Orleans Wind Energy Committee formed

  2000

• IPCC releases third Assessment Report

  2001

• Falmouth Energy Committee established

  2001

• Cape Light Compact authorized to administer energy efficiency plans

  2001

• Sandwich adopts Hazard Mitigation Plan

  2002

• Provincetown Recycling and Renewable Energy Committee established

  2003

• Massachusetts Climate Protection Plan

  2004

• Brewster Energy Committee established

  2004

• Bourne adopts Hazard Mitigation Plan

  2004

• Chatham adopts Hazard Mitigation Plan

  2004

• Mashpee adopts Hazard Mitigation Plan

  2004

• Wellfleet adopts Hazard Mitigation Plan

  2004

• Brewster Alternative Energy Committee formed

  2004

• Kyoto Protocol enters into force

  2005

• Orleans adopts Hazard Mitigation Plan

  2005

• Massachusetts becomes the 8th state to adopt California motor vehicle emissions standards

  2005

• An Inconvenient Truth released

  2006

• First utility scale wind turbine installed on Cape Cod

  2006

• IPCC releases fourth Assessment Report

  2007

• Massachusetts joins the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative

  2007

• CLC invests $3 million to create Cape and Vineyard Electric Cooperative (CVEC)

  2007

• Sandwich Energy Committee established

  2007

• Citizens' Climate Lobby launched

  2007

• Global Warming Solutions Act signed into law creating Green Communities program

  2008

• CIRenew issues “A Call to Action and Report to the Community”

  2008

• Installation of large wind turbines at Massachusetts Military Reservation (now Joint Base Cape Cod)

  2008

• 350.org founded

  2008

• President Bush signs Energy Policy Act of 2008 into law

  2008

• EPA grants waiver of Clean Air Act to California for higher emissions standards for motor vehicles

  2009

• Greenhouse gas emissions inventory for Massachusetts published

  2009

• Massachusetts is first state to adopt the "Stretch Code"

  2009

• Cape Cod Multi-hazard Mitigation Plan adopted

  2010

• Mashpee Energy Review established

  2010

• Mashpee designated Green Community

  2010

• Chatham updates Hazard Mitigation Plan

  2010

• Barnstable Renewable Energy Commission established

  2010

• Federal E-Vehicle Tax Rebate Program

  2010

• Massachusetts Climate Change Adaptation Report

  2011

• Truro designated Green Community

  2011

• Barnstable adopts Hazard Mitigation Plan

  2011

• Dennis adopts Hazard Mitigation Plan

  2011

• Harwich adopts Hazard Mitigation Plan

  2011

• Provincetown adopts Hazard Mitigation Plan

  2011

• Truro adopts Hazard Mitigation Plan

  2011

• Provincetown designated Green Community

  2011

• Chatham Energy Committee established

  2011

• Cape Cod National Seashore becomes a Climate Friendly Park

  2011

• Provincetown joins Community Rating System

  2012

• Yarmouth Energy Committee established

  2013

• IPCC releases fifth Assessment Report

  2014

• Wellfleet designated Green Community

  2014

• Orleans Renewable Energy/Wind Committee established

  2014

• Massachusetts E-Vehicle rebate incentive (2014-2019)

  2014

• Paris Agreement reached

  2015

• United States participates in adoption of the Paris Agreement

  2015

• Cape Cod Climate Change Collaborative (CCCCC) established

  2015

• Cape Cod Commission begins Resilient Cape Cod Project

  2015

• Barnstable County hires FEMA Community Rating System Coordinator

  2015

• Harwich improves Community Rating System rating

  2015

• Bourne Energy Advisory Committee established

  2015

• Harwich Utility and Energy Conservation Commission established

  2015

• Pope Francis published "Laudato Si"

  2015

• Executive Order 569 signed into law

  2016

• Paris to Pleasant Bay (CCCCC)

  2016

• Provincetown updates Hazard Mitigation Plan

  2016

• 350 Cape Cod formed

  2016

• Blue Institute at Cape Cod is incorporated

  2016

• Brewster releases Coastal Adaptation Strategy

  2016

• Faith Communities Environmental Network (FCEN) created

  2016

• Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy founded

  2016

• Wellfleet joins Community Rating System

  2016

• Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) Program Initiated

  2017

• Sandwich updates Hazard Mitigation Plan

  2017

• Truro updates Hazard Mitigation Plan

  2017

• Falmouth adopts Hazard Mitigation Plan

  2017

• Wellfleet updates Hazard Mitigation Plan

  2017

• Orleans improves Community Rating System rating

  2017

• Outer Cape Energize formed

  2017

• Bourne updates Hazard Mitigation Plan

  2017

• Harwich updates Hazard Mitigation Plan

  2017

• Mashpee updates Hazard Mitigation Plan

  2017

• Yarmouth adopts Hazard Mitigation Plan

  2017

• Harwich Energy Committee established

  2017

• Eastham joins Community Rating System

  2017

• Greta Thunberg on World Stage

  2017

• MA Department of Public Utilities approves Eversource Charging Station Funds

  2017

• Mashpee joins Community Rating System

  2017

• United States withdraws from Paris Accord, increasing importance of local action

  2017

• Fourth National Climate Assessment released

  2018

• IPCC publishes Special Report: Global Warming of 1.5C

  2018

• Environmental Bond Bill signed

  2018

• Massachusetts State Hazard Mitigation and Climate Adaptation Plan updated

  2018

• First Massachusetts Comprehensive Energy Plan

  2018

• 2018 Regional Policy Plan

  2018

• Net Zero Cape & Islands Roundtable

  2018

• Chatham updates Hazard Mitigation Plan

  2018

• Falmouth designated MVP community

  2018

• Sandwich designated MVP community

  2018

• Harwich designated Green Community

  2018

• Orleans designated Green Community

  2018

• Yarmouth designated Green Community

  2018

• Barnstable Infrastructure and Energy Committee established

  2018

• Dennis Alternative Energy Committee established

  2018

• Brewster joins Community Rating System

  2018

• Green Communities Act includes strategic electrification

  2018

• MA Department of Public Utilities approves National Grid Charging Station Funds

  2018

• An Act to Advance Clean Energy 2018

  2018

• Update to Green Communities Act: allows energy efficiency funds for storage, technologies support, renewable energy

  2018

• Wellfleet joins Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy 

  2018

• IPCC refines Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories

  2019

• IPCC publishes Special Report: Climate Change and Land

  2019

• IPCC publishes Special Report: The Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate

  2019

• 2020 Regional Transportation Plan update dedicates funding for climate change

  2019

• Cape Cod Commission releases Cape Cod Coastal Planner

  2019

• Cape Cod Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy updated

  2019

• Net Zero Cape & Islands Roundtable

  2019

• Bourne designated MVP Community

  2019

• Barnstable designated MVP Community

  2019

• Brewster designated MVP Community

  2019

• Chatham designated MVP Community

  2019

• Eastham designated MVP Community

  2019

• Orleans designated MVP Community

  2019

• Provincetown designated MVP Community

  2019

• Truro designated MVP Community

  2019

• Wellfleet designated MVP Community

  2019

• Sandwich joins Community Rating System

  2019

• Yarmouth designated MVP Community

  2019

• Wellfleet Energy and Climate Action Committee established

  2019

• Brewster, Chatham, and Dennis designated as green communities

  2019

• Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce forms Sustainable Economic Development Pillar

  2019

• Cape Cod National Seashore selected to be 1 of 3 national parks for a climate change operational resiliency study

  2019

• EPA publishes updated GHG Inventory for 2018

  2020

• Chatham Conservation Foundation forms Salt Marsh Task Force

  2019

• Dennis applied to Community Rating System

  2019

• Cape Cod Commission launches Cape Cod Climate Initiative

  2019

• Provincetown, Truro, Wellfleet, and Eastham develop regional shoreline management plan

  2019

• Storm Tide Pathways mapping for CCB shoreline

  2019

• Truro Climate Action Committee formed

  2019

• Truro Select Board passes declaration of the importance of the climate crisis and in support of the student strike movement

  2019

• Yarmouth Resources Advisory Committee Formed

  2019

• Wellfleet pursues MVP Action Plan

  2019

• Falmouth applied to Community Rating System

  2019

• Cape Cod Commission prepares Regional Greenhouse Gas Emissions inventory

  2020

• Climate Collaborative establishes Cape Cod Climate Action Network (CC-CAN)

  2020

• Eastham updates Hazard Mitigation Plan

  2020

• Dennis designated MVP Community

  2020

• Harwich designated MVP Community

  2020

• Mashpee designated MVP Community

  2020

• Seaport Economic Council starts grant programs to create jobs and build resilience to the impacts of climate change

  2020

• Cape Cod Commission takes up concerns of petition by 350 Cape Cod to modify the Regional Policy Plan to further address the causes of climate change

  2020

• Brewster Adopts Climate Emergency and Net Zero Declaration (Article 24, Annual Town Meeting)

  2020

• Dennis Adopts Climate Resolution (Article 4, Special Town Meeting)

  2020

• Eastham Adopts Climate Policy (Article 34, Annual Town Meeting)

  2020

• Falmouth Adopts Climate Policy (Article 37, Annual Town Meeting)

  2020

• Harwich Adopts Climate Resolution (Article 44, Annual Town Meeting)

  2020

• Mashpee Adopts Climate Policy (Article 16, Annual Town Meeting)

  2020

• Orleans Adopts Climate Policy (Article 44, Annual Town Meeting)

  2020

• Provincetown Adopts Climate Policy (Article 15, Annual Town Meeting)

  2020

• Wellfleet Adopts Climate Policy (Article 25, Annual Town Meeting)

  2020

• Truro Adopts Policy to reduce Net Greenhouse Gas Emissions to Zero by 2050 (Article 17, Annual Town Meeting)

  2020

• Yarmouth Adopts Resolution Recognizing the urgency of greenhouse gas reductions, endorses Solarize Yarmouth Plus (Article 13, Special Town Meeting)

  2020

• Barnstable Adopts Policy to Reduce Net Greenhouse Gas Emissions (Item 2021-045, 11/19/2020)

  2020

• Climate-related amendments to the Cape Cod Regional Policy Plan approved

  2021

• Presidential Executive Order "Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad" signed

  2021

• "Act Creating a Roadmap to Net-Zero by 2050," signed into law

  2021

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