In August of 2009 Governor David A. Paterson signed Executive Order No. 24 setting a goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in New York State by 80 percent below the levels emitted in 1990 by the year 2050. The Executive Order also created the New York Climate Action Council (CAC) with a directive to prepare a Climate Action Plan. The Climate Action Plan will assess how all economic sectors can reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and adapt to climate change. The Plan will also identify the extent to which such actions support New York's goals for a clean energy economy.

Governor David A. Paterson announced the Climate Action Plan Interim Report at the Advanced Energy 2010 Conference in New York City on Tuesday, November 9, 2010. The New York State Climate Action Plan Interim Report is now available. Click here for the Interim Report. [600 pages, 18.0 MB] For individual sections and chapters, and instructions for submitting comments on the Interim Report, visit the Interim Report page.

ClimAID Report
In November 2011, the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) released a new study, ClimAID, documenting the effect of climate change on NYS.  

• Loss of high-elevation plants, animals, and ecosystem types
• Winter recreation declines; summer opportunities increase
• Milk production declines, though less than other regions

(See p. 5)

Read a synopsis of the report here.

Read the entire report here.