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Climate Change:
What is NYS doing to
prepare?
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation
Kristin Marcell
Hudson River Estuary Program/Cornell WRI
Office of Climate Change
1. Stabilization of global atmospheric GHGs at
levels that minimize harm
- reducing GHG emissions
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation
- maintaining and enhancing carbon sinks
- cooperation at all levels of government
2. Develop state and local institutional
capacity to minimize impacts from future
climate change
NYS Climate Action Council
Executive Order 24 (2009)
80% reduction in GHG from 1990 levels
in NYS by 2050
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation
y
Draft state Climate Action Plan by
November 1, 2010
200.00
250.00
300.00
350.00
C
O
2

E
q
u
i
v
a
l
e
n
t
)
80%Reduction
~222 million tons
Forecast
Range
Baseline Emissions
Emission Reductions to Meet an 80 by 50 Goal
New York State Greenhouse Gas Inventory
Source: NYS Energy Plan (2009)
0.00
50.00
100.00
150.00
M
i
l
l
i
o
n

T
o
n
s

(
C
Electric Net Imports Transportation Residential Commercial Industrial Other
1990 Historic
NYSERDA
2025 Forecast
NYSERDA
2050 Goal
o to s
CO2e
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Initiatives To Reduce GHG
Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI)
Cap and trade program in 10 states
$200 million proceeds to date via auctions
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation
Draft GHG emission performance standards
Decrease CO
2
intensity of emissions for all large
emitters
Initiatives To Reduce GHG
Carbon capture sequestration and storage
research
GHG emission standards for light duty
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation
vehicles
Low Carbon Fuel Standard (10 states)
SEQRA Energy Use & GHG Policy
Initiatives To Reduce GHG
State Energy Plan
NYSERDA Funding and Tech Asst
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation
Climate Smart Communities Pledge
>80 signed up to date
The Climate Registry
Red Hook
Initiatives to Adapt
NYS Sea Level
Rise Task Force
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation
Statewide Climate
Impacts
Assessment
(ClimAID)
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Initiatives to Adapt
Interagency Adaptation Workgroup
(DEC, NYSERDA, DOS, SEMO)
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation
NYC Adaptation Task Force
and NYC Panel on
Climate Change
Infrastructure in NYC
Hudson River Estuary
Piloting new DEC Climate Change
Policy
S t i bl Sh li P j t
Geoff Eckerlin, HudsonRiver
National EstuarineResearchReserve
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation
Sustainable Shorelines Project
Climate Goal (6) in the Hudson River
Estuary Action Agenda
Hudson Valley Climate Change Network
Speakers Bureau
Whats Next
Release of SLRTF draft report and
recommendations (September 2010)
ClimAIDreport (Fall 2010)
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation
ClimAIDreport (Fall 2010)
NYC Adaptation Task Force report
(Fall 2010)
Climate Action Council draft report
(November 2010)
How can you help?
Support signing and/or implementing
the Climate Smart Community Pledge in
your community
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation
y y
Build local support for climate action at
the state level
J oin the Speakers Bureau