Supports Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act Requirements to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions by 85 percent by 2050

The GreenNY Council today announced the release of the 11th Greening New York State report which documents progress toward meeting the requirements in Executive Order #22, “Leading by Example: Directing State Agencies to Adopt a Sustainability and Decarbonization Program,”  signed by Governor Kathy Hochul in September 2022. The report highlights actions that agencies and authorities are taking to reduce energy use and improve energy efficiency, decrease waste generation, increase the purchasing of green products and services, and more. This announcement supports the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (Climate Act) requirements to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 85 percent by 2050.

The GreenNY Council, created by E.O. #22 and co-chaired by the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), New York Power Authority (NYPA), Office of General Services (OGS), Division of Budget (DOB), and New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), led the creation of the report and collected data from the 75 agencies and authorities covered by EO22.

Key findings on State agency sustainability actions during fiscal year 21-22 in the report include:

• 50 percent increase in composting of organic matter for a total 12,888 tons, including 4,910 tons being food scraps;
• 91 percent overall recycling rate for things such as office recyclables, bulk materials and clean construction and demolition debris;
• 38 trillion BTUs of energy savings toward the 11 trillion BTU goal of the BuildSmart 2025 program, which is an increase of almost one trillion BTUs from the previous year;
• 37 new and updated GreenNY procurement specifications; and
• $286 million in spending on green products and servicesthat decrease energy use, decrease the use of toxic substances, and accelerate the market shift towards more sustainable products economywide. 

DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos said, “Thanks to Governor Hochul’s leadership and investments, New York State government continues to lead by example and accelerate our transition to a more sustainable future. I commend the Green NY Council and our Agency and Authority partners for the significant progress on implementing this important Executive Order and look forward building on these accomplishments and continue to show all New Yorkers the economic power of sustainability and climate actions.”

OGS Commissioner Jeanette Moy said, “Governor Hochul has made it a priority for State agencies and authorities to incorporate sustainability into all our work, and this report highlights some of the remarkable strides we’re making to combat climate change. As co-chair of the GreenNY Council, the OGS team is committed to leading by example in these efforts, and we are dedicated to working with our partners in State Government to reach the aggressive environmental goals laid out in Executive Order 22 and the Climate Act.”

NYSERDA President and CEO Doreen M. Harris said, “Governor Hochul has demonstrated her leadership and commitment to ensuring New York is leading by example and NYSERDA is proud to join its sister agencies and authorities in reporting progress in greening operations and actively advancing a more sustainable and resilient future. Our mindful actions and choices on a daily basis are a model for reducing emissions, minimizing waste and increasing energy efficiency, which can be seen across the authority –from EV charging stations and a high-performance HVAC system, to composting in the kitchen area and the overall management of our facilities.”

New York Power Authority President and CEO Justin E. Driscoll said, “I applaud the GreenNY Council for its dedication to achieving a sustainable future in a decarbonized New York State. At the New York Power Authority, we share GreenNY’s vision. We are fully engaged with our state partners to play a leading role in driving the state’s ambitious transition to a sustainable clean energy economy.”

SUNY Chancellor John B. King, Jr. said, “SUNY manages a vast footprint, overseeing more than 40% of the state’s building space, and we’re bolstering our efforts across the system to reduce our carbon footprint and meet the aggressive climate goals set by Governor Kathy Hochul. SUNY students are deeply invested in seeing their campuses act to combat climate change, and their advocacy has been a catalyst on many campuses for the addition of solar arrays and geothermal wells, the renovation or construction of new buildings to be more energy and water efficient, and the enhancement of biodiversity by protecting or adding nature plants and trees. Our campuses have also taken student ideas to heart to both reduce waste and increase composting and recycling. As a system, we will attack climate change from every angle to create a greener future."

Other efforts taken by affected state entities outlined in the report included increasing the number of zero-emission fleet vehicles, conserving water, increasing habitat protection, and enhancing green infrastructure and resiliency.

Continuing Green Procurement Leadership

The GreenNY Council today also finalized two additional GreenNY procurement specifications. These specifications will lower the environmental impact of goods and services purchased and used by New York State government, with a focus on reducing greenhouse gas emissions and reducing exposure to hazardous substances. The approved specifications include:

• Carpet cleaning products: ensuring that carpet cleaning products purchased by the State do not contain Per- and Polyfluorinated Alkyl Substances (PFAS), among other performance requirements.
• Solar photovoltaic systems: the existing procurement specification was updated to increase efficiency thresholds, ensuring that New York State entities are getting more renewable energy from the solar panels they install.

New York State's Nation-Leading Climate Plan

New York State's nation-leading climate agenda calls for an orderly and just transition that creates family-sustaining jobs, continues to foster a green economy across all sectors and ensures that at least 35 percent, with a goal of 40 percent, of the benefits of clean energy investments are directed to disadvantaged communities. Guided by some of the nation's most aggressive climate and clean energy initiatives, New York is on a path to achieving a zero-emission electricity sector by 2040, including 70 percent renewable energy generation by 2030, and economywide carbon neutrality by mid-century. A cornerstone of this transition is New York's unprecedented clean energy investments, including more than $35 billion in 120 large-scale renewable and transmission projects across the state, $6.8 billion to reduce building emissions, $3.3 billion to scale up solar, more than $1 billion for clean transportation initiatives, and over $2 billion in NY Green Bank commitments. These and other investments are supporting more than 165,000 jobs in New York's clean energy sector in 2021 and over 3,000 percent growth in the distributed solar sector since 2011. To reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve air quality, New York also adopted zero-emission vehicle regulations, including requiring all new passenger cars and light-duty trucks sold in the State be zero emission by 2035. Partnerships are continuing to advance New York's climate action with nearly 400 registered and more than 100 certified Climate Smart Communities, nearly 500 Clean Energy Communities, and the State's largest community air monitoring initiative in 10 disadvantaged communities across the state to help target air pollution and combat climate change.