Climate Action Council Draft Scoping Plan

The climate action Scoping Plan was carefully drafted by teams of experts and stakeholders from across the State.

The Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (Climate Act) was signed into law in 2019 and is one of the most ambitious climate laws in the nation. The law created the Climate Action Council (the Council), which was tasked with developing a Scoping Plan that serves as an initial framework for how the State will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and achieve net-zero emissions, increase renewable energy usage, and ensure climate justice. On December 20, 2021, the Council voted to release the Draft Scoping Plan for public comment. January 1, 2022 marked the beginning of a comment period, which closed on July 1, 2022. The feedback from the public helped the Council develop and release the Final Scoping Plan on January 1, 2023.



Read the Draft Scoping Plan Overview

Read the Draft Scoping Plan

View Fact Sheets & Infographics

Appendices


Climate Justice Working Group Input in the Draft Scoping Plan


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.


Archive of Climate Action Council Meetings and Materials

The Climate Action Council was responsible for developing a Scoping Plan to reduce New York’s greenhouse gas emissions 40 percent by 2030 and no less than 85 percent by 2050. The Council was supported by a Just Transition Working Group and sector-specific Advisory Panels, whose members contributed a diversity of expertise in drafting a suite of recommendations for the Council’s Scoping Plan. Together, these groups determined the emissions reductions strategies necessary to combat climate change, ensuring that the most vulnerable among us benefit from clean energy and guaranteeing that New Yorkers thrive in the low-carbon economy.

Explore the sections below to view recordings of past meetings and the materials that were presented.

Agriculture and Forestry Advisory Panel

Chair

  • Richard Ball, Chair, New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets

Members

  • Peter Innes, Natural Resources Supervisor, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
  • Rafael Aponte, Founder, Rocky Acres Community Farm
  • Amanda Barber, Manager, Cortland County Soil and Water Conservation District
  • John Bartow, Executive Director, Empire State Forest Products Association
  • Michelle Brown, Conservation Scientist, The Nature Conservancy
  • Tom Gerow, General Manager, Wagner Lumber Co.
  • Suzanne Hunt, President, Hunt Green LLC and Co-Owner, Hunt Country Vineyards
  • Peter Lehner, Director of Sustainable Food and Farming, EarthJustice
  • Samantha Levy, New York Policy Manager, American Farmland Trust
  • Robert Malmsheimer, Professor of Forest Policy and Law, SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry
  • Stephanie Morningstar, Coordinator, Northeast Farmers of Color Land Trust
  • John Noble, President, Noblehurst Farms
  • Julie Suarez, Associate Dean, Office of Land-Grant Affairs, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Cornell University
  • Ned Sullivan, President, Scenic Hudson
  • Donna Wadsworth, Communications Manager, International Paper
  • Elizabeth Wolters, Deputy Director of Public Policy, New York Farm Bureau
  • Peter Woodbury, Senior Research Associate, School of Integrative Plant Science, Soil and Crop Sciences, Cornell University
  • Nelson Villarrubia, Executive Director, Trees New York

Comments can be emailed to [email protected]

Upcoming Meetings

There are no scheduled meetings at this time.

Past Meeting Materials

Monday, August 24, 2020
Wednesday, September 16, 2020
Thursday, October 1, 2020
Monday, October 19, 2020
Wednesday, November 2, 2020
Wednesday, November 18, 2020
Wednesday, December 9, 2020
Thursday, January 14, 2021
Thursday, February 4, 2021
Tuesday, March 2, 2021
Tuesday, March 16, 2021

Energy Efficiency and Housing Advisory Panel

Chair

  • RuthAnne Visnauskas, Commissioner, New York State Homes and Community Renewal

Members

  • Janet Joseph, Senior Vice President, Strategy and Market Development, New York State Energy Research and Development Authority
  • Peggie Neville, Deputy Director of Clean Energy, Department of Public Service
  • Kyle Bragg, President, 32BJ SEIU
  • Gina Bocra, Chief Sustainability Officer, New York City Department of Buildings
  • Dan Egan, Senior Vice President, Energy and Sustainability, Vornado Realty Trust
  • Bret Garwood, Chief Executive Officer, Home Leasing, LLC
  • Jin Jin Huang, Executive Director, Safari Energy, LLC
  • Clarke Gocker, Director of Policy and Strategy, PUSH Buffalo
  • Elizabeth Jacobs, Acting Executive Director, Akwesasne Housing Authority
  • Jamal Lewis, Senior Policy and Technical Assistance Specialist, Green and Healthy Homes Initiative
  • Sadie McKeown, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, The Community Preservation Corporation
  • Bill Nowak, Executive Director, New York Geothermal Energy Organization
  • Molly (Dee) Ramasamy, Head of Deep Carbon Reduction, Jaros, Baum and Bolles
  • Daphany Rose Sanchez, Executive Director, Kinetic Communities Consulting
  • Laura Vulaj, Senior Vice President and Director, Sustainability, SL Green Realty Corp.
  • Gina Bocra, Chief Sustainability Officer, New York City Department of Buildings

Contact

Comments can be emailed to [email protected].

Upcoming Meetings

There are no scheduled meetings at this time.

Past Meeting Materials

Wednesday, September 16, 2020
Wednesday, September 30, 2020
Friday, October 16, 2020
Thursday, October 29, 2020
Wednesday, November 18, 2020
Wednesday, December 9, 2020
Tuesday, January 12, 2021
Thursday, February 4, 2021
Wednesday, February 10, 2021
Tuesday, March 16, 2021

Energy-Intensive and Trade-Exposed Industries Advisory Panel

Chair

  • Hope Knight–Acting Commissioner and President & CEO-designate, Empire State Development

Members

  • Keith Hayes, Senior Vice President, Clean Energy Solutions, New York Power Authority
  • Heather Briccetti, President and Chief Executive Officer, The Business Council of New York State
  • Tristan R. Brown, Associate Professor, Sustainable Resources Management, SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry
  • Jason Curtis, Vice President & General Manager, Nucor Steel Auburn, Inc.
  • Carlos García, Energy Planner, New York City Environmental Justice Alliance
  • Leah George VanScott, Vice President of Business Development, Greater Rochester Enterprise
  • Doug Grose, President, NY CREATES
  • Michael LeMonds, Vice President, Environment, Land and Government Affairs, LafargeHolcim
  • Melanie Littlejohn, Vice President and Regional Executive Director-Upstate New York, National Grid
  • Elisa Miller-Out, Managing Partner, Chloe Capital
  • Stephen Tucker, President and Chief Executive Officer, Northland Workforce Training Center
  • David Wasiura, Assistant to the Director, United Steelworkers District 4
  • Lourdes Zapata, President and Chief Executive Officer, South Bronx Overall Economic Development Corporation

Contact

Comments can be emailed to [email protected].

Upcoming Meetings

There are no scheduled meetings at this time.

Past Meeting Materials

Thursday, September 24, 2020
Monday, October 5, 2020
Wednesday, October 28, 2020
Wednesday, November 18, 2020
Wednesday, December 9, 2020
Wednesday, January 13, 2021
Wednesday, February 10, 2021
Wednesday, March 10, 2021

Land Use and Local Government Advisory Panel

Chair

  • Sarah Crowell, Director of the Office of Planning Development and Community Infrastructure

Members

  • Mark Lowery, Assistant Director, Office of Climate Change, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
  • Jessica Bacher, Managing Director, Pace University School of Law, Land Use Law Center
  • Jayme Breschard-Thomann, Senior Project Manager, Bergmann PC
  • Kevin Law, President and Chief Executive Officer, Long Island Association
  • Katie Malinowski, Executive Director, New York State Tug Hill Commission
  • Ed Marx, Former Commissioner of Planning, Tompkins County Department of Planning and Sustainability
  • Kathy Moser, Chief Conservation Officer, Open Space Institute
  • Priya Mulgaonkar, Resiliency Planner, New York City Environmental Justice Alliance
  • Gita Nandan, Co-founder and Board Chair, Resilience, Education, and Training Innovation (RETI) Center
  • Juan Camilo Osorio, Assistant Professor, Pratt Institute, School of Architecture
  • Eric Walker, Climate and Clean Energy Strategist

Contact

Comments can be emailed to [email protected].

Upcoming Meetings

There are no scheduled meetings at this time.

Past Meeting Materials

Thursday, September 24, 2020
Wednesday, October 7, 2020
Wednesday, October 29, 2020
Thursday, November 19, 2020
Thursday, December 3, 2020
Wednesday, December 17, 2020
Monday, February 1, 2020
Monday, February 22, 2021
Tuesday, March 2, 2021
Monday, March 8, 2021
Monday, April 8, 2021
Monday, April 14, 2021
Wednesday, May 12, 2021

Power Generation Advisory Panel

Chair

  • Rory Christian, CEO and Chair, New York State Department of Public Service

Members

  • Corinne DiDomenico, Assistant Director, Large Scale Renewables, New York State Energy Research and Development Authority
  • William Acker, Executive Director, New York Battery and Energy Storage Consortium
  • Cecilio Aponte, III, Senior Analyst, Origination, sPower
  • Elizabeth (Betta) Broad, Outreach Director, New Yorkers for Clean Power
  • Rory Christian, President, Concentric Consulting, LLC
  • Lisa Dix, Senior New York Representative, Beyond Coal Campaign, Sierra Club
  • Annel Hernandez, Associate Director, New York City Environmental Justice Alliance
  • Kit Kennedy, Director of Energy & Transportation, Natural Resources Defense Council
  • Shyam Mehta, Executive Director, NYSEIA
  • Emilie Nelson, Executive Vice President, New York Independent System Operator
  • John Reese, Senior Vice President, Eastern Power Generating Company
  • Stephan Roundtree, Jr., Northeast Director, Vote Solar
  • Jennifer Schneider, International Representative and Legislative and Political Coordinator for New York, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers
  • Darren Suarez, Manager of Public and Government Affairs, Boralex Inc.
  • Laurie Wheelock, Litigation and Policy Counsel, Public Utility Law Project

Contact

Comments can be emailed to [email protected] or call 833-498-2082.

Upcoming Meetings

There are no scheduled meetings at this time.

Past Meeting Materials

Wednesday, September 16, 2020
Thursday, October 22, 2020
Thursday, November 5, 2020
Friday, November 20, 2020
Monday, December 21, 2020
Monday, January 11, 2021
Wednesday, February 3, 2021
Monday, February 12, 2021
Wednesday, February 22, 2021
Wednesday, March 10, 2021
Wednesday, April 7, 2021
Monday, May 3, 2021

Transportation Advisory Panel

Chair

  • Marie Therese Dominguez, Commissioner, New York State Department of Transportation

Members

  • Jared Snyder, Deputy Commissioner, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
  • Paul Allen, Senior Vice President, M. J. Bradley & Associates
  • Dimitris Assanis, Assistant Professor, Stony Brook University
  • Steve Finch, Senior Vice President, Automotive Services, AAA Western & Central New York
  • Albert Gore, III, Policy and Business Development, Tesla
  • Kendra Hems, President, Trucking Association of New York
  • Elgie Holstein, Senior Director for Strategic Planning, Environmental Defense Fund
  • Renae Reynolds, Transportation Planner, New York City Environmental Justice Alliance
  • Porie Saikia-Eapen, Director, Environmental Sustainability and Compliance, Metropolitan Transportation Authority
  • John Samuelsen, International President, Transport Workers Union
  • Nick Sifuentes, Executive Director, Tri-State Transportation Campaign
  • Kerene Tayloe, Director of Federal Legislative Affairs, WE ACT for Environmental Justice
  • Julie Tighe, President, New York League of Conservation Voters
  • Craig Turner, Executive Director, Buffalo Niagara International Trade Gateway Organization
  • Nancy Young, Vice President, Environmental Affairs, Airlines for America
  • Bob Zerrillo, Policy Director, New York Public Transit Association

Contact

Comments can be emailed to [email protected].

Upcoming Meetings

There are no scheduled meetings at this time.

Past Meeting Materials

Thursday, September 17, 2020
Wednesday, October 21, 2020
Tuesday, November 3, 2020
Thursday, November 19, 2020
Thursday, December 10, 2020
Electrification and Fuels Roundtable
Public Transportation/Smart Growth Roundtable
Friday, December 18, 2020
Friday, January 13, 2021
Wednesday, January 18, 2021
Market-based Policies and Financing Roundtable
Thursday, January 21, 2021
Wednesday, February 10, 2021
Thursday, February 18, 2021
Wednesday, February 24, 2021
Tuesday, March 9, 2021
Tuesday, March 18, 2021
Tuesday, April 6, 2021
Friday, April 9, 2021
Friday, April 30, 2021

Waste Advisory Panel

Chair

  • Martin Brand, Deputy Commissioner, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation

Members

  • George Bevington, Senior Project Manager, Barton & Loguidice
  • Michael Cahill, Partner, Germano & Cahill, P.C.
  • John W. Casella, Chairman, CEO, and Secretary, Casella Waste Systems
  • Steve Changaris, Vice President, Northeast Region, National Waste and Recycling Association
  • Resa Dimino, Senior Consultant, Resource Recycling Systems
  • Dan Egan, Executive Director, Feeding New York State
  • Jane Atkinson Gajwani, Director, Energy and Resource Recovery Programs, NYC Department of Environmental Protection
  • Paul Gilman, Senior Vice President and Chief Sustainability Officer, Covanta
  • Dereth Glance, Executive Director, Onondaga County Resource Recovery Agency
  • Eric Goldstein, Sr. Attorney and New York City Environment Director, Natural Resources Defense Council
  • Allen Hershkowitz, Founding Director and Chairman of the Board, Sport & Sustainability International
  • Bernadette Kelly, International Representative & Recording Secretary Teamsters Local 210
  • Tok Michelle Oyewole, PhD., Policy and Comms Organizer, NYC Environmental Justice Alliance
  • Lauren Toretta, President, CH4 Biogas
  • Brigitte Vicenty, Founder, Inner City Green Team

Upcoming Meetings

There are no scheduled meetings at this time.

Past Meetings Materials

Friday, December 4, 2020
Friday, December 11, 2020
Monday, January 4, 2021
Thursday, January 14, 2021
Wednesday, January 27, 2021
Tuesday, February 9, 2021
Monday, February 22, 2021
Wednesday, March 3, 2021

Just Transition Working Group

Co-Chairs

  • Roberta Reardon, Co-Chair, Commissioner, New York State Department of Labor
  • Doreen M. Harris, Co-Chair, Acting President and CEO, New York State Energy Research and Development Authority

Members

  • RuthAnne Visnauskas, Commissioner, Homes and Community Renewal
  • John B. Rhodes, Chair, New York State Public Service Commission
  • Vincent Albanese, Director of Policy and Public Affairs, LIUNA
  • Omar Freilla, Founder and Coordinator, Green Worker Cooperatives
  • Henry A. Garrido, Executive Director, DC 37
  • Patrick Jackson, Director of Global Energy Management, Corning, Inc.
  • Gary LaBarbera, President, Building and Construction Trades Council of Greater New York
  • Michael Padgett, Vice President of Energy, Alcoa
  • Brian Raley, Principal Staff Engineer, Global Foundries
  • James Shillitto, President, Utilities Workers Union of America Local 1-2
  • Maritza Silva-Farrell, Executive Director, ALIGN
  • Theodore J. Skerpon, President, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 97 and Chair, Utility Labor Council of New York
  • Lara Skinner, Executive Director, The Worker Institute, Cornell University
  • Candis Tolliver, Political Director, 32BJ SEIU
  • Randy Wolken, President and Chief Executive Officer, Manufacturers Association of Central New York and Manufacturers Alliance

Contact

Questions can be emailed to [email protected].

Past Meeting Materials

Thursday, September 17, 2020
Thursday, October 1, 2020
Wednesday, November 4, 2020
Wednesday, November 17, 2020
Thursday, December 3, 2020
Thursday, January 21, 2021
Wednesday, February 3, 2021
Thursday, February 23, 2021
Wednesday, March 3, 2021
Tuesday, March 23, 2021
Thursday, August 5, 2021
Tuesday, November 9, 2021
Friday, December 3, 2021

Archive of Input Studies and Reports

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
  • March 2023: Vintage Update [PDF]
  • Read the Jobs Study [PDF]

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

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

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.

New York State Climate Impacts Assessment (opens in new window)