Clean Air for Massachusetts, Monthly CashBack for Residents
Clean Air CashBack is a straightforward idea: reduce pollution, return the money directly to residents, and give voters a chance to weigh in on the approach here in Massachusetts.
A practical idea in plain English
Right now, burning fossil fuels is essentially free: companies that operate in our state extract and sell oil, gas, and coal without paying for the damage those fuels do to our air, our health, and our climate. Clean Air Cashback would change that. It would place a fee on fossil fuels at the source, and return every dollar collected directly to Massachusetts residents as a regular cash payment. The more pollution, the higher the fee, and the bigger the cashback. It’s a straightforward idea: make polluters pay, and put that money back in people’s pockets.
Built for Massachusetts
Local language, local ballot questions, and a focus on cleaner air plus monthly CashBack for residents.
How it works
Three simple ideas sit at the center of Clean Air CashBack.
Reduce pollution
A fee on fossil-fuel pollution creates an incentive to shift toward cleaner options and reduce harmful emissions over time.
Send money back
Instead of keeping the money, the program is designed to return it directly to residents as regular monthly CashBack payments.
Make it local
Massachusetts has a chance to lead. By putting this question directly to voters on the ballot, we’re building the public mandate that Beacon Hill needs to act, and showing other states that this can be a win-win for fighting climate change without hurting household budgets.
2026 Ballot Initiative
The 2026 effort is a non-binding public policy question in participating Massachusetts House districts. It is designed to gauge public interest, raise awareness, and encourage legislative action around a Clean Air CashBack approach in the state legislature.
The proposed question asks whether a district’s representative should support legislation that places a fee on the carbon content of fossil fuels to compensate for environmental pollution and returns the proceeds directly to residents as monthly Carbon CashBack payments.
Learn about the 2026 Ballot InitiativeProposed ballot question
Shall the representative from this district be instructed to introduce and vote for legislation that places a fee on carbon content of fossil fuels to compensate for their environmental pollution, and return the proceeds directly to residents as monthly Carbon CashBack payments?
How Can I Help?
We’re partnering with volunteers all across the state to make this happen, making it truly a grassroots and bottom-up movement to make Clean Air Cashback a reality. If you’re interested in helping out, please don’t hesitate to reach out!
- Upcoming signing locations and times.
- Which towns or districts are currently active.
- Email signup or contact form for updates.
- Links to social channels or an events page.
Quick questions
Is this a new law?
No. The 2026 district question is non-binding. It is meant to show public support and encourage legislative action, not create a law on its own.
Why say “Clean Air CashBack” instead of “carbon fee”?
The campaign is using simpler, more relatable language that emphasizes cleaner air and monthly payments to residents, while still acknowledging the fee-and-dividend policy idea behind it.
What does “CashBack” mean here?
It refers to regular monthly payments to residents, funded by the proceeds collected from the pollution fee.