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City of Worcester, MA

Eric D. Batista
City Manager

2025 Green Worcester Plan Annual Report Released – Marks Five-Year Anniversary

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 8/20/2026 12:02 pm

WORCESTER, Mass. – The City of Worcester published its 2025 Green Worcester Plan Annual Report, marking five years since the plan's completion in 2020. The report summarizes progress made in 2025 and outlines priorities for 2026.

“This year marks the fifth anniversary of our roadmap to making Worcester one of America's most sustainable and climate-resilient mid-sized cities by 2050," said City Manager Eric D. Batista. “When the plan was completed in 2020, the future felt uncertain amid the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. But this roadmap guided us through, and now five years later, Worcester has built the foundation needed to turn vision into action.”

The Department of Sustainability and Resilience (DSR) leads many of the programs described in the report, in close collaboration with partners across city departments, Green Worcester Advisory Committee and the broader Worcester community. Special recognition goes to the Department of Public Works, the Department of Parks, Recreation, and Cemetery, the Department of Transportation and Mobility, and the Executive Office of Economic Development.

Highlights from 2025 include:

  • Advanced zero waste efforts by installing 150 WooBins, conducting the first citywide Waste Characterization Study, and advancing the development of the Zero Waste Master Plan, on track for completion in late 2026
  • Expanded the city's green infrastructure by planting new street trees, launching a three-year rain garden revitalization initiative, and maintaining the two newly planted Miyawaki Forests
  • Progressed Project Blue Worcester to improve watershed health and water quality citywide
  • Progressed along Phase 2 of the Stormwater and Green Infrastructure Master Plan, building an Integrated Flood Model to identify effective, citywide flood mitigation strategies
  • Expanded the Smart Energy Advice Program, which has engaged over 1,000 individuals and assisted more than 450 low- and moderate-income households with energy efficiency support since its 2023 launch

The 2025 Annual Report is now available on the city website and can be viewed at: Green Worcester Plan | City of Worcester.

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