John W. Odell, Chief Sustainability Officer
Welcome to your hub for all things sustainable and resilient in Worcester!
Our work is informed by the Green Worcester Plan, completed in 2021, which is a roadmap for making Worcester the greenest mid-sized city in the country.
Achieving the Green Worcester Plan goals requires a community-wide effort. From waste reduction and home energy efficiency to nurturing newly planted trees, there's a role for everyone in creating a greener future together. Here you will find information about what the City is doing and what you can do to!
Since 2021, the Department of Sustainability & Resilience has been working collaboratively with the community and other departments to implement many of Green Worcester Plan goals via new policies, projects and initiatives, while encouraging action at the community level as well.
In spring 2025, the City of Worcester launched our first Zero Waste Master Plan - an aspirational and comprehensive roadmap toward a more sustainable future. This plan will outline clear, actionable steps to prevent and reduce waste in alignment with our Green Worcester Plan.
To learn more about waste in Worcester and how you can get involved, please check out our Green Worcester Dashboard.
Building Resilience, Together
Worcester is working on developing a deep understanding of climate change impacts in our city and building resilient solutions to them - be it extreme heat, street flooding from flash floods or snow and ice storms. Check out our projects, resources and how you can get involved!
Preserving Lakes & Ponds
We envision a Worcester where all of our waterways are clean and healthy, safe for their designated recreational uses and accessible to all residents. The Lakes and Ponds Program's mission since 2016 is to monitor and manage our waterways for environmental threats, to protect their recreational value and preserve ecological services.
Becoming a Zero Waste City
Worcester has demonstrated its commitment to a Zero Waste future by hiring our first ever Zero Waste Coordinator in 2023 to manage and coordinate Zero Waste program activities across the City. Current priorities of the ZW Program include ensuring a successful development of the City's first Zero Waste Master Plan (2025-2026), per one of the key recommendations in the Green Worcester Plan. Other current initiatives include championing the Clean Streets Collective program, managing the launch of the 150 dual-stream street trash bins, producing Trash Talk videos, organizing clean-up events and much more. Learn more about the program and how to get involved on our Green Worcester Dashboard.
Growing Green Worcester's ElectriCITY!
We launched a group electricity purchasing program in 2020, which offers its residents and businesses price stability and greater control over the environmental characteristics of their electricity supply. In the first year of the Program, 69 million pounds of carbon dioxide were avoided because of additional green electricity added to their supply - all while saving participants approximately $500,000 as compared to the National Grid's basic service rates!
The Current Energy Mix Disclosure Label is prepared and periodically updated by Worcester Community Choice Aggregation electricity supplier. It provides detail on the energy mix (i.e. fuels used to produce electricity as well as percentage and type of renewable energy) for all program options.
Increasing Renewable Energy Production
We have 20+ solar projects on Worcester Public Schools, the City's former landfill and other locations, totaling over 13 Megawatts of Solar Capacity. Green Worcester Plan's goal is for all City entities to use 100% clean and affordable energy by 2045. We plan to get there by using 100% renewable energy for municipal facilities, providing 100% residential renewable electricity city-wide through the Green Worcester ElectriCITY program and using 100% renewable energy for residences and businesses, including for building heating and transportation.
Saving on Energy Bills Due to Energy Efficiency Work
We have spent $80 million on energy efficiency work in 90+ municipal buildings since 2009, saving $14 million and Reducing Harmful Greenhouse Gas Emissions by 43%!
Electrifying Vehicles
We are electrifying our municipal fleet (which currently contributes 16% of the municipal carbon emissions) and building new electric vehicle charging stations in municipal parking garages and lots. We recently installed 18 new charging stations in three public parking garages downtown for residents and visitors to use. As for municipal vehicles, when they go out of service, our goal is to replace them with electric vehicles (when possible) to achieve a goal of an all-renewable fleet by 2030.
Expanding Safe Streets for Pedestrians & Cyclists
We are working with other departments, including the newly formed Department of Transportation & Mobility, on developing long range transportation plans and short term priority projects that will make Worcester a more walkable, sustainable and accessible place to live!
*From the 19 municipal solar projects since 2011, and more being built now. Learn More!
A video series where we answer your questions about trash and recycling from the City of Worcester's Zero Waste Coordinator.
Sustainability & Resilience
51 Sever Street
Worcester, MA 01609
Mailing Address:
455 Main Street
Worcester, MA 01608
Phone: 508-799-8324
Email Us
Office Hours:
By Appointment: Monday - Friday
8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m.
