City of Albany Announces Start of Updated Climate Action Plan

ALBANY, N.Y. - For the first time in over a decade, Albany will bring together city staff, community members, and elected officials to create a new Climate Action Plan. The plan, called Act Now Albany: Coming Together for Climate Action, will include a Climate Vulnerability Assessment as well as strategies for both city operations and the community as a whole.

Climate change is no longer a distant threat. We are already seeing the impacts on our neighborhoods: longer, hotter seasons; intensifying storms; increased flooding; and worsening air pollution.

That is why, under Mayor Sheehan's leadership, the City has acted:

• Switching to 100% renewable energy for municipal operations
• Installing EV chargers across the city
• Planted thousands of new trees and revitalized our urban forest
• Building a solar farm on the capped North Albany Landfill

The Act Now Albany plan will build on this progress and chart a path forward.

The City has hired Kim Lundgren Associates, Inc. (KLA) to guide the planning process. Five part-time Climate Ambassadors have also been hired, who will facilitate community outreach and engagement. The City is also forming an Advisory Committee composed of residents and city staff, who will provide additional input on the plan's development.

Early analysis for the Climate Vulnerability Assessment is underway. The City will work to understand how extreme weather events are impacting residents, as well as the resources needed to stay safe from extreme heat, extreme cold, flooding, and storms. These events (also called "climate hazards") are becoming more frequent and more intense due to climate change.

Albany residents can take a climate vulnerability survey at albanyny.gov/sustainability. Any resident who completes the survey will be entered in a drawing for a $100 gift card. Responses will help identify the community's most significant challenges and the resources needed during these events.

Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan said, "Albany is a city defined by our history, ingenuity, and strong civic pride. Across generations and a unique network of neighborhoods, residents have collaborated to solve challenges and move the city forward. Act Now Albany continues that tradition by calling on all of us to come together to take action and secure a safer, more sustainable future."

City of Albany Director of Sustainability Jason West said, "While acting on climate is hard work, Albany is no stranger to that. With residents, businesses, nonprofits and city government working together, small actions can add up to big impacts. Together, we can chart a course toward a cleaner, healthier, and more just city - and show what's possible when the capital of New York becomes an epicenter of climate action."

The Act Now Albany: Coming Together for Climate Action is funded in part by the Climate Smart Communities Grant Program, Title 15 of the Environmental Protection Fund through the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.

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