For the first time in 11 years, Westchester County has assembled a comprehensive climate action plan to address the threat climate change poses to our communities and create a roadmap for sustainable, environmentally conscious solutions.
View the completed draft of the Climate Action Plan here.
The Climate Action Plan lays out a series of goals and objectives for Westchester County government. Fully implementing the goals and objectives in the Climate Action Plan is forecast to reduce greenhouse gas emissions attributable to County Government to 40% below 1990 levels by 2030 and 85% below 1990 levels by 2050. Both of these goals are aligned with the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, New York State’s landmark climate law, passed in 2019.
With a $100K grant from the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation, Westchester County Climate Action Planning Institute (Westchester CAPI) completed individualized local government operations Greenhouse Gas Inventories (GHGI) and Climate Action Plans (CAP) for each of the nine participating local governments: Westchester County; the Villages of Hastings-on-Hudson, Irvington, Ossining, Pelham, Tarrytown; the Town of Ossining; and the Cities of Peekskill and White Plains. As lead applicant and project participant, Westchester County’s project team includes County staff and appointed members of its Climate Smart Communities Task Force. Each partner municipality contributed a similar team. Upon Westchester CAPI’s completion, the County and partner municipalities presented their GHGIs and CAPs at a final working group meeting and to their respective environmental committees and elected officials. The Hudson Valley Regional Council as primary project partner, in conjunction with ICLEI staff, guided participants in the development of their GHGIs and CAPs.
Climate Action Plan: Inventory of Government Operations Greenhouse Gas Emissions
In October, 2023, Westchester County completed the first major phase of the county government climate action plan, an Inventory of Government Operations Greenhouse Gas Emissions. This inventory is a comprehensive evaluation of the estimated greenhouse gas emissions produced by the operations of Westchester County Government. Read the Greenhouse Gas Inventory to learn more.
Westchester CAPI Goals
- Inform and educate Westchester CAPI participants on the purpose and benefits of GHGIs and CAPs
- Ensure that long-term capacity is developed at the staff and appointed volunteer level through a collaborative group learning structure
- Build long-term partnerships across municipalities and their staff/appointed volunteers
- Complete locally specific GHGIs and CAPs for each participating local government
- Facilitate implementation of near- and long-term high-impact GHG emissions reductions measures
Desired Outcomes
- Complete nine individual local government operations GHG Emissions Inventories and Climate Action Plans incorporating GHG emissions reductions plans.
- Develop successful climate change mitigation strategies.
Feedback
To offer feedback on the Climate Action Plan, please email Peter McCartt, Director of Energy Conservation & Sustainability at .