Resources
Disadvantaged Communities Barriers and Opportunities Report
New York’s Disadvantaged Communities Barriers and Opportunities Report, which is required by the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (Climate Act), analyzes why some communities are disproportionately impacted by climate change and air pollution and have unequal access to clean energy. This report breaks down the barriers faced by disadvantaged communities in being able to own and access all the goods and services necessary to:
- Make homes energy efficient, weather-proofed, and powered by renewable energy
- Provide clean transportation such as fuel efficient and electric cars, vans, trucks, buses and bikes and walkable streets and livable neighborhoods
- Ensure safety and health in the face of ever harsher climate impacts
This report recommends actions for New York State agencies to design climate protection and clean energy programs through a lens of justice and these recommendations will be incorporated into the Climate Action Council’s final scoping plan, paving the way for the benefits of clean energy and a safe and healthy environment for all New Yorkers.
Feedback on the report is accepted at any time by emailing ClimateAct@dec.ny.gov
Just Transition Working Group Jobs Study
The 2021 Just Transition Working Group Jobs Study (Jobs Study) is required by the Climate Act to provide a robust understanding of the impacts of climate change mitigation, to assess potential effects on the job market, and to understand impacts to training, education, and workforce development.
Information from the Climate Act provided the foundation for the Jobs Study, supporting the development of research objectives, methodology, and deliverables. The objectives of the study, as outlined in the legislation, are to:
- Measure the number of jobs created in various sectors to counter climate change, which include but are not limited to the energy, building, and working lands sectors
- Examine projection of the inventory of jobs needed and skills and training required to meet the demand of jobs to counter climate change, and examine the projected workforce disruption due to community transitions from a low-carbon economy
- Advise the Climate Action Council on issues and opportunities for workforce development and training related to energy efficiency measures, renewable energy, and other clean energy technologies, with specific focus on training and workforce opportunity for disadvantaged communities and segments of the population that may be underrepresented in the clean energy workforce, such as veterans, women, and formerly incarcerated persons
Natural and Working Lands Job Study
The Economic Impacts of Investing in Climate Mitigation in New York Forests and Agriculture study supplements the Jobs Study with more detailed estimates of economic impacts in the Natural and Working Lands sectors for three greenhouse gas abatement strategies identified by the Climate Action Council’s Agriculture and Forestry Advisory Panel (reforestation, afforestation, and dairy farm manure methane management). New York was fortunate to be selected for support by the United States Climate Alliance (USCA) through a competitive process which enabled a team of economists at RTI International to perform the analysis in close collaboration with stakeholders from NYSERDA, The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), Agriculture & Markets, USCA, and subject matter experts from the Agriculture and Forestry Advisory Panel. Results of the analysis include jobs and wages by economic development region, levels of greenhouse gas reductions in relation to costs and discussion of co-benefits.
Advisory Panel/Working Group Recommendations
Integration Analysis
To inform and support the Climate Action Council’s Scoping Plan, an integration analysis was developed to estimate the economy-wide benefits, costs, and GHG emissions reductions associated with pathways that achieve the Climate Act GHG emission limits and carbon neutrality goal. This integration analysis incorporates and builds from Advisory Panel and Working Group recommendations, as well as inputs and insights from complementary analyses, to model and assess multiple mitigation scenarios. Key results, drivers, and assumptions are available below.
- Integration Analysis – Technical Supplement (Scoping Plan Appendix G [PDF]
- Integration Analysis – Inputs and Assumptions (Scoping Plan Appendix G, Annex 1) [XLSX]
- Integration Analysis – Key Drivers and Outputs (Scoping Plan Appendix G, Annex 2) [XLSX]
Supporting Studies
The Integration Analysis incorporates key assumptions and insights from a range of complementary analyses, including the Power Grid Study, ongoing buildings and transportation roadmap efforts, assessments of bioenergy potential, and detailed studies of GHG mitigation potential for HFCs and the oil and gas sector.
Climate Impacts
The New York Climate Change Science Clearinghouse (NYCCSC) is a regional gateway to data and information relevant to climate change adaptation and mitigation across New York State. It provides climate science data and literature and other resources for policy-makers, practitioners, and the public, to support scientifically sound and cost-effective decision making.
On November 4, 2021, Governor Kathy Hochul announced the launch of a multi-year study, New York State Climate Impacts Assessment: Understanding and Preparing for Our Changing Climate, to explore how climate change affects communities, ecosystems, and the economy in New York State. This collaborative climate research effort led by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) and conducted in partnership with academic institutions, science organizations, community leaders and industry representatives, among others, to better understand and document the current impact of climate change across the state, what future impacts may be, and how the state can better prepare for them.
Led by NYSERDA, the Assessment will provide a credible, science-based analysis of what to expect from climate change in New York under various scenarios and will seek to convey this information in ways that are actionable, relevant, and easy to understand. Nearly 80 individuals representing more than 60 different organizations across the United States and Canada will be involved in developing the Assessment which will help residents, businesses, and decision makers across the state better plan and prepare for the impacts of climate change on our systems and infrastructure. The Assessment will incorporate the latest data, models, and scientific understanding of climate change.
These resources will be made publicly available on NYSERDA's website once the assessment is completed, which is expected in early 2023.