Green Cambridge

History and Activities

Green Cambridge is an environmentalist organization based in Cambridge, Massachusetts that promotes urban farming, urban forests, and urban wildlands, which it argues create “more equitable neighborhoods.” Green Cambridge adheres to the far-left political principal of equity, claiming that “sustainability begins with Equity and Justice” and that as an organization it is working to “be actively anti-racist” and to “dismantle racism through our organization, the broader environmental movement we participate in, and the city of Cambridge.” Green Cambridge also advocates for the left-of-center principles of equity and sustainability, and affirms that modern American society is driven by “short-term, unsustainable, corporate policies in regards to food, transportation, energy systems and ecology.”  ^{1  2}

Green Cambridge was founded as Green Decade in 2004 by local environmentalists concerned with creating a “climate resilient future.” The organization gained tax-exempt status in Massachusetts in 2005 and renamed itself Green Cambridge in 2011. In 2013, Green Cambridge started a Net Zero petition and advocated that the city council of Cambridge pass a 25-year Net Zero action plan to cut net carbon emissions to zero by 2040. ^{1  2}

Green Cambridge has a paid internship program for those interested in careers in environmental justice, ecology, environmental science, wetland restoration, and urban agriculture. It also advocates for planting up to 300 trees a year around Cambridge and to preserve the local Alewife Brook Reservation. ¹

Additionally, Green Cambridge promotes days where participants choose to walk instead of driving to their destinations. ¹

Green Cambridge advocates for preserving all trees in the city, including those on private land; advocates for removing pavement and parking; advocates for increasing public transit and bicycle facilities; and attempts to educate young people aged 14 to 18 through outdoor programming.  ²

Partners

As of 2025, listed partner organizations to Green Cambridge include Cambridge Rindge and Latin High School, Groundwork Somerville, the Mystic River Watershed Association, Lesley University, Cambridge Local First, Mothers Out Front , City Sprouts, Charles River Conservancy, Wentworth Institute of Technology, Earth OS Institute, Cambridge Residents Alliance, and Biodiversity for a Livable Climate. ³

Leadership

The executive director of Green Cambridge is Steven Nutter, who has served in the position since 2017. He is also an adjunct faculty member at Boston Architectural College, the chair of the Cambridge Climate Committee, a board member of the Massachusetts Climate Action Network, and a board member of the Cambridge Nonprofit Coalition. Previously he was the co-founder and partner of PlacePractice, a design and planning consultant. He also sits on the board of directors for the Livable Streets Alliance, is the associate director of communications and knowledge management for the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee, is the director of information technology for Shepley Bulfinch, is a board member of the Community Alliance of Mission Hill, and is a planning associate and graphics and technology director at Miller Dyer Spears. ^{4  5}

The Deputy Director of Green Cambridge is Sarah Adkins. Adkins was previously a project manager at Green Cambridge, an assistant manager at Zinnia Jewelry, a goat tender at Massachusetts Audubon’s Habitat Education Center and Wildlife Sanctuary, and a livestock caretaker at the Massachusetts Audubon Drumlin Family Wildlife Sanctuary.  ^{4  6}

Financials

According to tax filings, in 2022 Green Cambridge reported $190,332 in revenues, $185,334 in expenses, and $253,942 in assets. ⁷