What They Are Saying: New Yorkers Support Mayor Adams’ “PlaNYC: Getting Sustainability Done”

April 20, 2023

NEW YORK – New York City Mayor Eric Adams today released PlaNYC: Getting Sustainability Done, New York City’s strategic climate plan that focuses on protecting New Yorkers from climate threats, improving quality of life, and building the green economy.

See below for what they are saying:

“As we will soon celebrate Earth Day this weekend, we recognize the environmental challenges facing families across New York City on a daily basis,” said U.S. Representative Adriano Espaillat. “I commend Mayor Adams on this latest effort to create initiatives protecting New Yorkers from climate threats while also building a green economy throughout the city. The PlaNYC initiative helps combat climate change today and helps achieve our climate goals towards a more sustainable and cleaner future.”

“Tackling the climate crisis requires thoughtful, strategic efforts to reduce our impact on the environment while ensuring no community is left behind,” said U.S. Representative Jerry Nadler. “I applaud today’s announcement of PlaNYC which demonstrates New York City’s long-term commitment to delivering climate justice. I look forward to my continued partnership with the city to secure the federal funding necessary to meet our climate goals outlined in this report.”

“When it comes to mitigating the climate catastrophe, we don't have time on our side: we know all too well that the floods, heatwaves, and storms our city is experiencing mean that the climate crisis is already here,” New York State Senator Andrew Gounardes. “I applaud Mayor Adams for these decisive actions towards executing and implementing the crucial measures our city needs for a healthy, equitable, and resilient future, and I look forward to continued work with him and his administration to see them through.”

“I am proud to partner with Mayor Adams on ‘Getting Sustainability Done,’ his bold climate action plan for our city to grow and thrive for generations to come,” said New York State Assemblymember Jenifer Rajkumar. “Through renewable energy, zero-emission vehicles, energy efficient buildings, and behavioral changes, we can reduce our city’s emissions by over 40%. Whatever resources the mayor needs to realize this climate agenda, I am committed to delivering from Albany. I have sponsored and helped pass bills to transition our state to renewable energy, phase out fossil fuel-emitting vehicles, prohibit dirty fuel oil, make all-electric buildings, and require more recycling and waste diversion. I also partner with Mayor Adams to promote the sustainable plant-based diet. Through our work, New York City is on a clear path to reach our goal of greenhouse gas emissions 30% below 2005 levels by 2030.”

“As a community hit particularly hard by - and still recovering from - Hurricane Sandy, I commend and welcome Mayor Adams' PlaNYC strategic climate preparedness program," said New York State Assemblymember Helene Weinstein. “It is no longer a question of if, but when, we will face the next climate related threat, and it is vital we spend resources on readying and protecting vulnerable neighborhoods now, and not wait until devastation's wrought and it's too late.”

“I congratulate the administration for focusing resources and developing a strategy to meet the climate crisis across all of city government,” said New York City Councilmember Gale A. Brewer.

“Having recently marked the 10th anniversary of Superstorm Sandy and noting the extreme weather events we have experienced over the past decade, it is clear that New York City must remain committed to long-term resilience planning,” said New York City Councilmember Carlina Rivera. “I thank Mayor Adams for his focus on protecting New York’s many coastal communities, including the one I live in and represent on the East Side of Manhattan. I look forward to continuing work with this administration to improve safety and quality of life for all New Yorkers.”

“In communities like mine, coastal resiliency plays a critical role in the health of the district, and we must work with our partners in government to meet the needs of our communities and our environment,” said New York City Councilmember Marjorie Velázquez. “If we can bring resources into our communities to build a greener economy, now is the time.”

“Earth Day is an annual celebration of nature and an opportunity for us to re-dedicate ourselves to protect the only home humanity will ever have,” said New York City Councilmember James F. Gennaro, chair, New York City Council’s Committee on Environmental Protection, Resiliency & Waterfronts. “It is crucial that we continue to prepare for the effects of climate change and implement strategic plans to create a more environmentally just city. I applaud Mayor Adams for working with the New York City Climate Cabinet to ensure a greener and more sustainable future for New York City and wish all New Yorkers a Happy Earth Day!”

“It’s becoming clearer and clearer that Mayor Adams is pursuing innovative, actionable, genius- level policies across multiple sectors” said Donnel Baird, CEO, BlocPower. “The power of climate budgeting in a city as large and influential as New York City is mind-blowing—imagine what will happen when we start accounting for the climate impact of every dollar that New York City spends!!!”

“As a member of the sustainability advisory board, I am excited to see an action-packed PlaNYC”, says Sonal Jessel, director of policy, WE ACT for Environmental Justice. “Environmental justice communities in New York City have been working for generations to implement projects and programs that reduce environmental hazards, address climate change, and improve homes and neighborhoods. Now, we have an unprecedented federal and state funding opportunity to do more of this work than ever before. I look forward to working with New Yorkers, the Mayor’s Office of Climate and Environmental Justice, and our agencies on many policies in PlaNYC, so we can invest in improvements that environmental justice communities want to see.”

“New York City has consistently had some of the most ambitious and equitable climate policies in the country,” said Amy Turner, senior fellow, Sabin Center for Climate Change Law at Columbia Law School. “PlaNYC provides a roadmap for continued climate leadership through federal funding opportunities, continued Local Law 97 implementation, and more.”

“As an organization rooted in the South Bronx, an epicenter of pollution and environmental justice, we are hopeful about PlaNYC and the benefits it would bring to frontline communities in the form of cleaner air, more open green space, and accessible green workforce trainings, among other things," said Arif Ullah, executive director, South Bronx Unite.

“Expanding tree canopy equitably across New York City to 30% cover is a crucial means to addressing the real and growing impacts of climate change, extreme heat, and flooding. We applaud Mayor Adams and his administration for committing to this visionary and achievable goal,” said Emily Nobel Maxwell, New York City director, The Nature Conservancy. “The urban forest cleans the air of pollutants, cools our streets and buildings, absorbs stormwater, beautifies our city, and promotes our overall health and well-being. Forest for All NYC and The Nature Conservancy look forward to working with the administration to ensure we reach this vital goal and its intended benefits – and do so equitably. These challenging times deserve nothing less.”

“Reducing emissions through transportation and improving resilience is vital to New York becoming a greener, sustainable city,” said Kate Slevin, executive vice president, Regional Plan Association. “This iteration of PlaNYC identifies key policies to help get us there. Congestion pricing, a low emission freight zone, secure bike parking, and a new approach to coastal resiliency - these are just a few of the necessary policies presented in the Plan. We look forward to working with Mayor Adams and the City Council on the plan's implementation.”

“In this strategic climate plan, Mayor Adams and his administration continue to bring much-needed focus to achieving New York City’s sustainability objectives,” said Zach Steinberg, senior vice president of policy, Real Estate Board of New York (REBNY). “REBNY and its members are proud to work with the Adams Administration and all stakeholders to further advance our shared goals of decarbonizing the built environment and building a more resilient and equitable city.”

“PlaNYC is critically important for New York City’s future as it sets a road map for how we can protect our city from climate threats, reduce carbon emissions, and create a green – and equitable – economy that provides opportunities for all New Yorkers,” said Julie Tighe, president, New York League of Conservation Voters; member, Mayor’s Sustainability Advisory Board. “We applaud Mayor Adams not only for prioritizing sustainability and resilience but for ensuring the city is positioned to capitalize on federal and state funding opportunities to mitigate the impacts of climate change.”

“We applaud the Adams' administration for showing the world, once again, how New York leads the way," said Amy Chester, managing director, Rebuild by Design. “From looking at city investments through a climate lens to exploring housing mobility and land acquisition, this plan has lots to be excited about.”

“The adult members of the Climate and Resilience Education Task Force and its Youth Steering Committee collaborated with the mayor’s office to ensure that climate education, associated teacher training, and workforce development were robustly included in the city’s revised strategic plan,” said Emily Fano, senior manager, Climate Resilience Education, National Wildlife Federation and Task Force co-founder. “New York City’s newfound commitment to climate education will be a model for the state and the nation. Solutions-focused climate education is key to addressing the climate crisis because it empowers students to become agents of change. Robust climate education will create pathways from K-12 schools to the green jobs required to decarbonize New York’s economy and achieve a just transition.”

“PlaNYC is a commitment to prioritize climate change and environmental Justice in New York City’s budgeting and investment process,” said Tonya Gayle, executive director, Green City Force. “The plan positions New York City to leverage federal Inflation Reduction Act and state policy priorities to create green careers and communities across all 5 boroughs.”

“Now more than ever, New York City must implement sustainable initiatives and projects that not only address our green infrastructure needs, but also create middle-class careers with benefits for our city’s hardworking people,” said Santos Rodriguez, chief of staff, Building and Construction Trades Council of Greater New York. “The launch of PlaNYC is a crucial part of achieving these goals and maintaining New York’s leadership in environmental justice and clean energy innovation. We look forward to working with Mayor Adams and other members of the Sustainability Advisory Board to build a new climate resilient future in our city, while creating thousands of good paying jobs for our tradesmen and tradeswomen and uplifting our local communities in the process.”

“The mayor’s new sustainability plan is filled with interesting ideas,” said Eric A. Goldstein, New York City environment director, Natural Resources Defense Council. “It is exciting to see the plan’s resiliency strategies like a voluntary housing mobility and land acquisition program, an extreme heat initiative focused on assisting low-income New Yorkers, and direct engagement with residents in neighborhood-based programs to combat the climate crisis.”

“The new PlaNYC will mobilize clean, resilient and affordable climate solutions to benefit all New Yorkers,” said Chris Halfnight, senior director of research and policy, Urban Green Council. “We applaud the Adams administration’s commitment to clean construction, support for Local Law 97, access to cooling, climate budgeting and many more initiatives to grow the green economy and deliver a just, low-carbon and healthy future.”

“From expanding the use of low-carbon construction materials, to helping find ways to make compliance with LL97 easier to achieve for all building types, PlaNYC sets laudable goals to ensure a better future for all New Yorkers,” said Shari C. Hyman, vice president, Public Affairs for Turner Construction, “I look forward to working with Mayor Adams’ climate team and my fellow Sustainability Advisory Board members to make these goals a reality.”

“The Adams administration is moving New York City toward a greener future with PlaNYC," said Dina Rabiner, vice president, Economic Development and Strategic Partnerships, Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce. “Brooklyn, becoming a major hub for offshore wind, is seeing rapid growth in other sustainable businesses, and the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce is proud to support startups and entrepreneurs that advance the city's goals of reducing our carbon footprint and becoming a model environmentally conscious U.S. city.”

“This plan shows that New York City will respond to Hurricane Ida and other extreme weather events by sponsoring multi-functional green schoolyards that improves everyday quality of life health with new recreational spaces that absorb stormwater, and greenways like the QueensWay to provide sustainable transportation options,” said Carter Strickland, vice president, Mid-Atlantic Region and New York State director, Trust for Public Land. “TPL is honored to work with the city to build dozens of new community-designed open spaces that will benefit all New Yorkers.”

“We at the Natural Areas Conservancy believe that forests and wetlands are critical to the health and well-being of New Yorkers and that access to these spaces is a fundamental right,” said Sarah Charlop-Powers, executive director, Natural Areas Conservancy. “We thank Mayor Adams, and we are thrilled that this administration is prioritizing the creation of a world-class, citywide trail system.”

“This multi-pronged plan is exactly the kind of commitment we need to unleash the power of the private sector to build an equitable clean energy future and meet our climate goals,” said Peter Davidson, CEO, Aligned Climate Capital. “I look forward to working with the city to leverage state and federal funds to scale our proven clean energy technologies as quickly as possible.”

“New York City has emerged as a leading global hub for climate tech, and Mayor Adams’ Strategic Climate Plan will help ensure that the tech sector and city government can work hand in hand to address urgent climate challenges,” said Julie Samuels, president and executive director of Tech:NYC. “We also know the green economy will play an increasingly important role in the city’s success going forward, and we stand ready to support the administration in helping prepare New Yorkers for the jobs it will create.”

“A green economy is expected to drive our city’s economic growth in the years ahead, and I am encouraged to see this reality reflected in the mayor’s PlaNYC,” said Gregory J. Morris, CEO, New York City Employment and Training Coalition (NYCETC). “Expanding access to good-paying jobs and a skilled 21st century workforce representing industries and occupations focused on renewable energy and energy efficiency is a start, but it's our ambitious and sustainable commitment to equity while we combat the climate crisis that will determine our shared prosperity.”