(BOSTON) – On May 19, 2022, the Environmental League of Massachusetts presented Representative Joan Meschino (D-Hull) with a Commonwealth Environmental Leader award during the organization’s annual Earth Night celebration, hosted this year at the New England Aquarium. The award recognizes Representative Meschino’s robust climate advocacy during her professional career and as a member of the Massachusetts state legislature. Other recipients of the award included María Belén Power and Andrea Nyamekye, co-leaders of the Massachusetts Environmental Justice (EJ) Legislative Table, Mass General Brigham, and Jeremy Grantham, an environmental philanthropist and co-founder of the Grantham Foundation for the Protection of the Environment and The Jeremy and Hannelore Grantham Environmental Trust.
“I was honored to receive one of the Environmental League of Massachusetts’ Commonwealth Environmental Leader awards,” said Representative Meschino. “From championing the Next Generation Climate Roadmap in the legislature to improving climate resilience in our communities, combatting the climate crisis has been and continues to be of the utmost importance in my work as a legislator. I look forward to continuing to advocate for climate legislation that meets the moment and aligns our economy with the climate science.”
A lifelong resident of the South Shore, Representative Meschino has always seen and understood the deep ties between a strong economy and a healthy environment. She channeled this understanding during her advocacy for the Next Generation Climate Roadmap, landmark climate legislation passed in March of 2021. The legislation overhauls the state’s climate laws, sets strong interim targets, and establishes comprehensive and iterative planning mechanisms to enable the Commonwealth to achieve ambitious climate goals while maintaining a focus on equity.
She continues to work in the energy and environment space as a member of the Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy, where she endeavors to shape the Commonwealth’s energy policy alongside other committee members and House Chairman Jeffrey Roy. In addition to her committee work, Representative Meschino offers educational presentations on the Roadmap and the Commonwealth’s next steps on climate to interested groups and municipalities across the Commonwealth.
Representative Meschino’s priority bills in the energy and environment space have received extension orders and continue to remain with their respective committees. These include An Act to create access to justice (H.1792), currently with the Joint Committee on the Judiciary, which empowers individuals to seek redress against discrimination by government policies. Also receiving extension orders were An Act relative to an electric transportation future (H. 3541) and An Act promoting zero-emission vehicles (H. 3347), both of which promote the use of electric vehicles in the passenger fleet; An Act to promote electric vehicle fleets by 2035 (H. 3255), which sets targets for achieving the full electrification of public-serving fleets; and An Act relative to building energy and decarbonization (H. 3350), which provides a blueprint for the state’s efforts to actively decarbonize new construction and existing buildings. These bills all remain with the Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities, and Energy.
To find information on the current status of Representative Meschino’s entire legislative agenda, visit malegislature.gov.
