See how Green Newton is helping Newton residents take action — from clean energy success stories and landlord outreach to plant-based eating and a new student-led energy team.
Your Support in Action
Thanks to our members, volunteers, sponsors, and supporters, Green Newton has been busy this season — helping residents take action, supporting strong climate policy, and exploring new ways to build a more sustainable Newton. This is the first in a series of posts sharing what that support makes possible.
We Help Residents Take Action
Highlighting Newton’s Clean Energy Success Stories
Sometimes the best way to get started is to hear from a neighbor who’s already done it.
Green Newton is sharing the experiences of Newton residents who have taken the steps to make the biggest reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and pollution. Through a series of videos produced with MassCEC, neighbors are sharing their experiences with solar, heat pumps, electric vehicles, and weatherization.
Curious if these technologies are right for you? Contact Green Newton’s Energy Advocate: armela@greennewton.org.
Reaching Newton’s Landlords
Renters can benefit from lower energy bills when homes are weatherized and upgraded with clean energy — but landlords don’t always know about the incentives available through Mass Save.
This year, we tackled one of the biggest challenges: figuring out who Newton’s landlords are and how to reach them. We built a database of more than 3,000 landlords by cleaning and cross-referencing Tax Assessor records and tracking down owners hidden behind LLCs and trusts using state business and land records.
We’re now using that database to reach landlords directly about incentives that can lower costs for both property owners and their tenants.
Are you a landlord — or do you know one? Contact Armela@greennewton.org and we’ll make sure they hear about available incentives.
Helping Residents Eat Healthy – With Less Pollution
Green Newton’s Green Plate Committee (GPC) helps Newton residents discover how eating more plant-based meals can be good for their health, their wallets, and the environment.
Whether you’re looking to add a few meatless meals a week or make bigger changes, the committee offers practical information, local resources, and encouragement. The GPC’s Plant-Based Coaching program (modeled after Newton’s popular Energy Coaches) provides personalized guidance, shares tips and recipes through the Food for Thought column, and maintains resources on the Plant-Based Eating page on our website. The committee also advocates for more plant-based options in Newton Public Schools cafeterias, collaborates with the contracted meal provider Chartwells, and connects with residents at Village Days, the Newton farmers markets, and Earth Day events.
Want free advice or support getting started? Contact us at EatGreenCoaching@greennewton.org.
Empowering Youth to Help Residents Save Energy
Green Newton student volunteers have formed the Saving Energy Team to encourage Newton residents to sign up for energy assessments so that they can take advantage of incentives for energy improvements.
To learn more about assessments, students attended an energy assessment themselves at a Newton home, giving them the chance to learn from the resident as well as from the energy expert. Learn more about how you can sign up for an assessment through the Saving Energy Team.
