The Vineyard Way — Martha’s Vineyard’s Climate Action Plan (CAP) — was created in 2022 by all six Island towns, the Wampanoag Tribe, and more than 100 community partners. With over 190 actions across six thematic areas, the CAP outlines how we can protect our people, ecosystems, and infrastructure from rising seas, flooding, extreme weather, and drought—always with equity at the center.
As our Island faces challenges brought on by climate change, this plan provides a roadmap for resilience. We keep our community engaged by sharing monthly updates in the ICAN newsletter and here on our blog. View the full CAP here.
Across Martha’s Vineyard, climate action continues to move from planning to practice — through partnerships, pilot projects, policy development, and community collaboration. From harbor resilience to land protection, waste reduction to public health preparedness, Island leaders and volunteers are steadily advancing the goals of the Climate Action Plan. Here’s a snapshot of the meaningful progress underway and what’s on the horizon, as of January 2026:
🌿 WHAT’S BEEN DONE:
- MVP 2.0 is underway, with coordination happening across towns on seed project selection and community engagement efforts focused on priority populations.
- Preparing the State’s Eco One Stop grant applications for a Salt Marsh Stewardship Planning project that includes data sharing, planning with local partners, and organizing an educational event. (LNB.G1.O2)
- Preparing the State’s Eco One Stop grant application for a Vineyard Haven Harbor Resilience project that would compile existing studies, create a Coastal Resilience Advisory Committee, and apply opportunities and lessons learned through ongoing conversations with Tisbury and MassDOT. (TIW.G1.O1+O4)
- The ResilientCoasts Initiative offers a potential collaboration with Nantucket and Gosnold, coordinating with Island-wide efforts on Martha’s Vineyard. (TIW.G2.O1)
- The Trash Task Force is conducting research and discussion on waste shipment and associated costs and is preparing an April MassDEP grant application for a waste reduction project. (TIW.G3.O3)
- The Organics Recovery Subcommittee is exploring expanded use of food recyclers and welcoming a new member from Interfaith Climate Action Team (ICAT). (TIW.G3.O1)
- Energy use projection modeling discussions are continuing, with follow-up conversations planned with Eversource and Vineyard Power. (ET.G3.O2)
- The SNEP Network climate action plan implementation training series has begun and will continue through October. (Overarching.G3.O1)
- A working group is convening, including Cape Light Compact and municipal Sustainability and Energy Managers, to strengthen coordination and collaboration. (ET.G2.O3)
🌱 WHAT’S COMING UP:
- Ongoing collaboration with Island Grown Initiative on a food system assessment that will run through June as a part of MVP 2.0 resilience planning project. (FS.G2.O1–5)
- SNEP Network training with the Gosnold Climate Action Network will continue through October. (Overarching.G3.O1)
- An engineering master student will be joining the MVC Climate Team on a part-time basis in May to focus on the Energy Transformation thematic area key actions, followed by a climate intern starting in mid-June. (Overarching.G3.O1)
- A Climate Leader Working Group is forming with select municipalities and the Climate Chief from the Governor’s Office.
*Parenthesis indicate the Thematic Area, Goal, and Objective listed in Climate Action Plan
Each of these efforts reflects a shared commitment to safeguarding the Island’s land, water, health, and communities — not just for today, but for generations to come. Together, we’re building a more resilient Martha’s Vineyard, one action at a time.
