Massachusetts

Global climate change poses risks to human health and to terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Important economic resources such as agriculture, forestry, fisheries, and water resources also may be affected. Warmer temperatures, more severe droughts and floods, and sea level rise could have a wide range of impacts. All these stresses can add to existing stresses on resources caused by other influences such as population growth, land-use changes, and pollution.

Climate Change in Massachusetts

Below are some of the potential impacts:

  • By 2100 temperatures in Massachusetts could increase by about 4°F (with a range of 1-8°F) in winter and spring and about 5°F (with a range of 2-10°F) in summer and fall. The frequency of extreme hot days in summer would increase because of the general warming trend.
  • Higher temperatures and increased frequency of heat waves may increase the number of heat-related deaths and the incidence of heat-related illnesses. Massachusetts, with its irregular, intense heat waves, could be especially susceptible.
  • The coast of Massachusetts is an important resource with over 1,500 miles of shoreline. At Boston, sea level already is rising by 11 inches per century, and it is likely to rise another 22 inches by 2100. sea level rise update
  • Rising sea levels are taking a toll on Massachusetts’ coastal upland. Each year, an average of 65 acres of upland is submerged by a combination of rising seas and subsiding land. Much of this loss occurs along the south-facing coast between Rhode Island and the outer shore of Cape Cod, including the islands of Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard. Coastal land that has been lost because of erosion by storm waves or wetland erosion is not included in the estimate of annual average land lost from submersion.
  • Possible responses to sea level rise include building walls to hold back the sea, allowing the sea to advance and adapting to it, and raising the land (e.g. by replenishing beach sand and elevating houses and infrastructure). Each of these responses will be costly, either in out-of-pocket costs or in lost land and structures. For example, the cumulative cost of sand replenishment to protect the coast of Massachusetts from a 20-inch sea level rise by 2100 is estimated at $490 million to $2.6 billion.

The above are based on from the Environmental Protection Agency's report on climate change, which uses data from the Third Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (2001).

For more info on climate change impacts on Massachusetts in areas such as water resources, agriculture, forests and ecosystems, you can download pdf of full EPA Report.

CO2: How Does Your State Rank?

Massachusetts is the highest emitter of C02 of all 50 states and the most populous.

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Maps

See CO2 output by sector, coastal population maps, and maps of regional initiatives.

USA Map

Regional Initiatives

In the absence of federal action, many U.S. states are banding together to explore and employ greenhouse gas-reducing policies.


Massachusetts participates in the following:

Eastern Climate Registry (ECR)

New England Governors: Climate Change Action Plan (NEG-ECP)

Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI)

Learn about climate initiatives in all U.S. states and regions

Your Impact

Estimate your CO2 footprint by using a carbon calculator such as the one on the Inconvenient Truth web site.

How green is your energy? The EPA has a power profiler that can tell you.