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Climate Smart Community Task Force

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Background

In 2009, New York State launched the Climate Smart Communities (CSC) program, an interagency initiative that encourages local communities to take action on reducing greenhouse gas emissions and adapting to climate change. The Village of Mamaroneck was designated by New York State as a Climate Smart Community (CSC) in 2021.  The Climate Smart Communities Certification Program is a set of over 100 actions, developed by the NY State Department of Environmental Conservation, that provides a transformational roadmap for municipalities. Under this program, the Village of Mamaroneck, together with participating communities across NY state, has committed to transitioning to zero carbon emissions, investing in community resilience, restoring ecosystems, building a more just, healthy, and livable future, and doing our part within our region and beyond to contribute to climate mitigation and adaptation. To learn more about the Climate Smart Communities Program, see the NY State CSC Website, which includes a complete list of New York State's Climate Smart Communities and their current certification status.

Climate Smart Communities Task Force Established:

In July of 2021, the Village established a Climate Smart Communities Task Force (CSC TF) to help document CSC-recommended actions the Village has taken showing mitigation of or adaptation to climate change. The CSC TF planned a broad suite of new initiatives that will ensure a climate-resilient environment for our Village in the future.  Click here for the Resolution Establishing the CSC Task Force.

As of July 31st, 2023, the Village of Mamaroneck CSCTF has documented and secured approval for 11 actions.

Clean Energy Communities Program

The Village of Mamaroneck is also part of a similar program to the Climate Smart Communities (CSC) program that was created by the New York State Energy Research and Department Authority (NYSERDA) and is known as the Clean Energy Communities (CEC) program. The program is focused on aiding communities in implementing clean energy actions, saving energy costs, creating jobs, and improving the environment. To view the Village of Mamaroneck and other communities’ progress in this program, click this link.

Local Laws and Resolutions:

Key Documents:

Meetings:

The Climate Smart Community Task Force meets on an ad hoc basis.

Meeting Minutes:

Task Force Volunteer Members

If you would like to contact all the members of the Climate Smart Community Task Force, please email them at csc@vomny.org. To email individual members of the Climate Smart Community Task Force, please refer to the roster below.

NameEmail
Ellen Silveresilver@vomny.net
Dan Kushnickdkushnick@vomny.net
Liam Robb O'Haganlohagan@vomny.net
David Freemandfreeman@vomny.net
Debbie Sullivandsullivan@vomny.net

Partners in Climate Action

Sustainable Westchester: The Village of Mamaroneck has worked with Sustainable Westchester (SW) for many years on a variety of initiatives.  The Village participates in the Community Choice Aggregation clean energy program as well as a shared services agreement with SW for the waste and recycling communications platform.  In 2021, the Village of Mamaroneck, together with the Village of Larchmont and the Town of Mamaroneck, successfully participated in two SW community campaigns (GridRewards and Community Solar). To learn more about the work Sustainable Westchester does, check out this website.

Ways to participate in government-led efforts to combat climate change/keep the Village green:

  • Attend public meetings: the village’s legislative body, the Board of Trustees (BOT), and the Committee for the Environment have meetings twice a month and once a month, respectively. You can attend these in person or (in the case of the Board of Trustees) watch at home on LMC Media if you’re interested. You can also view the agendas and meeting minutes for these meetings on the Village website.
  • Vote: the Village gives its residents opportunities to vote for people in positions of power every year, including Board of Trustee (BOT) members and the mayor. These people will ultimately be the ones who make the big decisions on what the Village will do about climate change, so voting is huge
  • Join the Committee for the Environment: the CFTE has an appointment process that takes place every December. By joining the CFTE, you can be part of a committee that directly influences the BOT on climate decisions. If you’re interested in learning more about the appointment process, click here.
  • Volunteer: the community has plenty of environmental volunteering opportunities, including community clean-ups and community gardens.

Ways that you can reduce your individual GHG emissions

  • Drive less, walk more: passenger car emissions are some of the biggest contributors to climate change. Consider greener forms of transport, such as bikes, public transport, and walking
  • Eat greener: the agricultural industry also contributes significantly to climate change. You can reduce your individual diet’s impact by eating more locally-produced and organic food and eating less meat (specifically beef) and dairy
  • Use less energy: electricity also produces a significant amount of GHG emissions. By turning off lights and unplugging devices when not using them, as well as swapping out incandescent light bulbs for more efficient LED bulbs, you can reduce the amount of energy you use
  • Reduce, reuse, and recycle: landfills are another significant source of GHG emissions. You can reduce the amount that ends up in landfills by consuming less goods, buying used/reusable items, and recycling. To learn more about Mamaroneck’s food scrap recycling program, click here.

  • For more information on these ideas as well as other ideas, click here.

Sources for Additional Learning About Climate Change