New York’s Climate Goals: How You Can Help

October 2, 2019|
Ian Lund|
SunCommon Blog|

How You Can Help New York Reach Our Climate Goals

New York just committed to some pretty ambitious goals for us as a state through the recently passed Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA). There are three primary goals:

Reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 60 percent of 1990 emissions levels by 2030
Increase renewable energy to 70% of the energy mix by 2030
Conserve 185 BTUs of heating energy

What’s inspiring is that there are actually things we can do to help out and make an impact on climate change. Let’s take a deeper look into the goals laid out by the CLCPA!

1. Increase renewable energy

The more renewable energy we can use, the less we have to rely on fossil fuels. Increasing emissions-free renewable energy is a key part of the climate crisis solution. And the CLCPA has set some pretty ambitious targets.

To meet the goal, the state expects 750,000 New Yorkers to go solar

The CLCPA specifically tasks us with adding 6000 megawatts (6 GW) of distributed solar (that means the smaller projects stuff that you install on your house or in small community arrays) by 2025. That’s 500,000 people going solar or joining their local community solar project, 750,000 by 2030.

Whoa that’s a lot. But there are a lot of people that live in New York State, too. Almost 20 million in fact. So it’s really just 2.5% of the population that needs to take action in the next five years. It’s totally do-able if we work together!

See if you can help meet our state goals!

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2. Reduce greenhouse gas emissions

Greenhouse gases is what it’s all about, right? Too many of them are in the atmosphere and so let’s reduce the amount that we New Yorkers are putting in the air. This goal seeks to have us reduce what we are putting in the air to 60% of the 1990 level in just 11 years.

How can we ensure our emissions stay flat or decrease?

Share rides and/or drive electric vehicles. Transportation is one sector in New York where carbon emissions are still steadily rising. You can help reduce the amount of gasoline burned in the state by carpooling whenever possible or, if you have the resources, driving on electricity!
Use clean energy. When you go solar, either by getting panels on your roof or buying into a Community Solar Array, anything powered by electricity in your home is instantly emission-free.
Conserving energy through efficiency. There are many ways to increase the efficiency of your home, many are also cost-effective because of the money they save you in the long-run. Insulating your house can not only reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but also the associated energy costs. Similarly, upgrading your water heater or switching out those old radiators for air-source heat pumps, will save your and the planet’s resources.