New York City Steps Up With Big Goals for Climate Action
New York City has taken another bold step toward playing a leading role in climate solutions with its announcement of actionable goals to dramatically reduce carbon pollution and commit to a comprehensive resiliency plan. Nilda Mesa, director of Mayor de Blasio’s sustainability team said, “the challenge ahead may be daunting, but we know there’s no choice but to take bold action to reduce our contributions to climate change, as well as to protect our city from what lies ahead that we cannot prevent.”
The New York City Panel on Climate Change (NPCC), which informs the City’s climate policies, resiliency plan, and sustainability initiatives, partnered closely with administration officials from the Mayor’s Office of Recovery and Resiliency, the Mayor’s Office of Sustainability, the Mayor’s Office of Operations, and the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. They together announced the NPCC report, which provides climate projections for temperature, precipitation, and sea level rise through 2100, while also addressing public health risks due to climate change, with a focus on extreme heat events, coastal storms, and flooding. “The NPCC is a great example of how scientists and City decision-makers can work together to address increasing risks due to climate change,” said NPCC Co-Chair Cynthia Rosenzweig.
Based on ecoAmerica’s research, setting public goals and drawing on the power of groups have proven to be successful ways to affect behavioral change and long-term engagement in local communities. Learn more about how to facilitate conversations about climate change with your local constituents in Connecting on Climate.
NYC’s 2015 climate change report calls for “bold action”
By Jenn Stanley | Next City | February 18, 2015
Mayor Bill de Blasio and his administration have set goals to keep New York City ahead of the curve when it comes to combatting the effects of climate change. Yesterday, the New York City Panel on Climate Change released its 2015 report, which focuses on increasing the current and future resiliency of communities, citywide systems and infrastructure around New York City and the broader metropolitan region. The report, “Building the Knowledge Base for Climate Resiliency,” is the first to provide projections through 2100.
“The work of the NPCC provides an opportunity for the City of New York to further define itself at the forefront of climate action among the world’s cities,” said Bill Solecki, who’s NPCC co-chair and a professor of geography at Hunter College. “The NPCC report highlights the vulnerabilities and opportunities for climate resilience of the city’s infrastructure systems and neighborhoods. While the impacts of climate change will be uneven, the conditions for a flexible and robust adaptation strategy are present.”