GREENNY COUNCIL ISSUES ANNUAL SUSTAINABILITY REPORT HIGHLIGHTING ENVIRONMENTAL ACHIEVEMENTS AND PROGRESS TOWARD CLIMATE OBJECTIVES

 

The GreenNY Council released the 12^th annual Greening New York State report documenting progress toward meeting the requirements in?Executive Order 22, "Leading by Example: Directing State Agencies to Adopt a Sustainability and Decarbonization Program," signed by Governor Kathy Hochul in September 2022. The Executive Order directs New York State agencies and authorities to lead by example in achieving the State’s sustainability goals.  

The report highlights actions New York State entities are taking to reduce energy use and improve energy efficiency, decrease waste generation, increase the purchasing of green products and services, and other related initiatives.  

Sustainability highlights during fiscal year 2022-23 in the report include:

• 6.88 trillion BTUs of energy savings logged through the BuildSmart 2025 program;

• 93 percent overall recycling rate, with approximately 1.9 million tons of waste recycled or composted, including 1.8 million tons of clean construction and demolition debris;

• 17 new or updated GreenNY purchasing specifications approved; and

• $227 million spent on green products and services that decrease energy use, decrease the use of toxic substances, and accelerate the market shift towards more sustainable products. 

Through the Executive Order, the GreenNY Council supports New York State sustainability efforts. The Council, co-chaired by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), New York Power Authority (NYPA), Office of General Services (OGS), Division of Budget (DOB), and New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), led the creation of the report and collected data from the 75 agencies and authorities covered under the Executive Order. 

DEC Interim Commissioner Sean Mahar said, “Directed by Governor Hochul and in coordination with our agency partners, New York State government continues to lead by example to accelerate the transition to a greener, more sustainable future. I commend the Green NY Council for the significant progress achieved on implementing the Governor’s Executive Order this year as the Council remains focused on continuing to leverage the economic power of sustainability and climate actions to improve the lives of all New Yorkers.”