BOSTON (WHDH) – Gov. Maura Healey and Boston Mayor Michelle Wu will visit Italy and the Vatican this week to take part in a climate summit and hold meetings with Italian officials, their offices announced.
The pair will also be joined by state Climate Chief Melissa Hoffer as they attend the climate summit.
The trip is scheduled to run from Tuesday through Friday. Healey will deliver the keynote address at the opening session of the conference, dubbed the Vatican Climate Summit: From Climate Crisis to Climate Resilience. Healey will also participate in panels and meetings.
The climate summit is organized by the Pontifical Academy of Sciences and the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences under leadership from college and university leaders at schools including UMass Boston. Pope Francis is set to preside over the summit, according to Healey’s office.
Healey’s keynote address is scheduled to take place Wednesday morning and will “highlight Massachusetts’ global climate leadership, particularly in the emerging industry of climatetech, and announce a new initiative to grow the climate workforce,” her office said.
Wu will take part in two discussions during the summit, according to her office.
Two Boston Public Schools students will attend the summit alongside Wu, according to Wu’s office, and will participate in a summit session titled “Voices of the Youth.”
Outside the climate summit, Healey’s office said the governor will work to strengthen diplomatic and economic relations between Italy and Massachusetts by hosting a roundtable alongside the American Chamber of Commerce in Italy with Italian business leaders who may establish, grow or expand their footprints in Massachusetts.
“Governor Healey will highlight all that makes Massachusetts a great place to do business, learn more about what the businesses are interested in and the challenges they face, and discuss opportunities for further collaboration,” Healey’s office said.
Wu is scheduled to meet with the mayor of Rome and visit towns “with ties to Boston’s heritage and that of her own family.”
“I’m excited for this opportunity to showcase Massachusetts’ climate and economic leadership on the global stage, and to make the case for why businesses should consider starting and growing in our state,” Healey said in her office’s statement. “Massachusetts deeply values our close relationship with Italy and the Vatican City State, and we see this trip as an excellent opportunity to strengthen ties and strategize on future opportunities for collaboration.”
“As the climate crisis takes on growing urgency across the globe, communities must come together to take collective action for a safer, brighter future,” Wu said. “Boston is proof of what’s possible for cities tackling the climate crisis while creating green jobs and healthier communities.”
Healey’s office said Italy is Massachusetts’ 10th largest trading partner in the world, with total trade in 2023 topping $2 billion.
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