Gov. Hochul Announces New Study To Prepare NY For Climate Change

NEW YORK STATE — New York is launching a new multi-year study to explore the impact of how climate change will affect communities, the economy and the ecosystem of the state. Gov. Kathy Hochul announced the study, "New York State Climate Impacts Assessment: Understanding and Preparing for Our Changing Climate," on Thursday.

The study will be a collaborative effort led by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority's (NYSERDA), and done with academic institutions, scientific organizations, community leaders and industry representatives. Its goal is to better understand the current impact of climate change across the state, what the future impact may be, and how to prepare for changes.

"Climate change is here, it's real and no state has felt its impact more than New York," Hochul said. "From hurricanes like Sandy and Ida, to seven feet of snow in Buffalo, we have seen our weather continue to grow more extreme each year. As we continue to rebuild in the wake of this pandemic, we must take a hard look at how climate change will impact our future and this study will serve as a key roadmap in informing how we can build a thriving New York in the midst of these challenges.

Hochul said that the study will create a science-based assessment of what to expect from climate change under various scenarios, and will present the information in ways that are actionable, relevant and easy to understand. Nearly 80 people representing more than 60 different organizations across the United States and Canada will be involved.

The assessment will include up-to-date projections of future climate conditions in New York, in-depth economic impact assessments, a peer-reviewed technical report on impacts and adaptation strategies and summaries and other materials designed for use by particular audiences.

These resources will be made publicly available on NYSERDA's website once the assessment is completed, which is expected in early 2023.

Climate change is already having a major impact on New York, Hochul said. The agricultural growing season is fluctuating, coastal and inland flooding is happening more often, populations of plants and wildlife are changing, catastrophic weather events are more likely, and the costs to human life and infrastructure is increasing.