Climate Smart Communities, Climate Justice, and Environmental Justice

Go Car Free for Climate this Week

This week is New York Climate Week. Join our fellow New Yorkers in making a difference on climate change this week by going car free! The Car Free for Climate event is taking place September 21 thru 27, and you can participate by taking the pledge to not drive your car at least one day during this week.

Reasons to Go Car-Free

Transportation represents the largest source of New York State's greenhouse gas emissions and the largest part of most New Yorker's personal carbon footprint as well. In fact, it accounts for 36 percent of greenhouse gases in New York State. That’s more than electricity generation, waste, refrigerants, and agriculture combined.

This is why it is critically important that we all lower our emissions from transportation in order to meet our nation-leading, economy-wide greenhouse gas emission reduction goals of 40 percent of 1990 emission levels by 2030, 85 percent by 2050, and ultimately net-zero. Learn more about the impacts of climate change in New York.

Participating is simple! Here’s how:

• Take the Pledge
  • Take the pledge to have your emissions reductions count towards our overall total! It just takes a minute. Note: you can pledge to not drive anywhere from one day to all seven days during the week.
• Don’t Drive
  • Simply don’t drive the day(s) that you pledged not to. Alternatives include combining trips on other days, using options such as walking/biking, or even teleworking.
• Post
  • In a safe manner, take a selfie and post it to social media using #NYSCarFree to let everyone know about your commitment to making a difference and going car free.

[Note: COVID-19 is still a risk. While not driving your vehicle during Climate Week, please follow all New York State Department of Health and CDC guidelines regarding preventing the transmission of COVID-19, including wearing a mask, practicing social distancing, and washing your hands for at least 20 seconds.]

Learn more and find resources to help you go car free on the NYS Office of General Services' website.

Climate Smart Communities 

When discussing climate change, we tend to speak in broad terms. We talk of the observable widespread impacts that affect the planet and our global communities. While it is critical to address these increasingly devastating impacts, it is also important to address the impacts climate change has on a municipal level.

New York state is actively combating the effects of pollution and climate change with overarching state policies and laws, but municipalities also have a role to play in providing protections to at-risk communities. In 2009, the Climate Smart Communities (CSC) Program was established to encourage local governments to commit to acting on climate change on a municipal level.

CSC is an interagency initiative jointly sponsored by DEC, NYSERDA, Department of Public Service, Department of State, Department of Transportation, Department of Health and the New York Power Authority. The program provides a framework to guide their climate action efforts and recognize their achievements as they make progress.

By passing a resolution containing a 10-point CSC pledge, municipalities work to become a designated Certified Climate Smart Community by completing and documenting actions that mitigate and adapt to climate change on a local level.

Local governments can receive financial and technical support from agencies for taking action to mitigate and adapt to climate change. The program offers free technical assistance, grants, and rebates for electric vehicles. Go online to learn more about this program. 

Climate Justice in Municipal Planning

In addition to Climate Smart Communities, municipalities should also consider climate justice when planning. By incorporating climate justice into the planning process, municipalities are acknowledging the impacts of climate change are not always equal. Low income and minority populations experience differing social, economic and health impacts that are exacerbated by climate change.

Addressing inequities through long-term mitigation and adaptation strategies at all stages of development will assure a fair outcome for all parties involved. Incorporating these policies and ideas into the planning process, planners and boards can create ordinances that benefit everyone, especially vulnerable communities and neighborhoods.

Tips for Incorporating Climate Justice and Environmental Justice into Municipal Planning

• Perform Environmental Justice Audits - An audit will serve to gather general and specific information about the environmental issues within disadvantaged neighborhoods.
  
  
• Diversify Planning Boards, Zoning Commissions and Zoning Boards of Appeals - Reach out to underserved communities and advocates to seek their insight on planning issues.
  
  
• Encourage Engagement and Participation - Include residents of low-income and minority communities from start to finish.
  
  
• Reassess Rules, Regulations, Codes and Laws - The regulation of land use and development is a useful tool for local governments to create avenues for fair and equitable land use programs.
  
  
• Adopt Fair and Equitable Land Use Plans - Planning boards should create and implement plans that reduce economic and zoning disparities and mitigate the impacts of negative environmental harms and issues.
  
  
• Adopt Smart Growth Principles - Implementing smart growth principles will help create communities with a wide range of transportation and housing choices that also preserves open space and protects critical environmental areas.
  
  
• Adopt Climate Change, Resiliency and Adaptation language - Climate change, adaptation and resiliency elements should be adopted as a part of comprehensive land use plans.