Authorities announce progress on reducing environmental footprint via 11th report of Greening New York State

New York is making progress in accelerating overall sustainability and reducing greenhouse gas emissions, according to the 11th edition Greening New York State report.

Key highlights include a 91% overall recycling rate for items like office materials, bulk supplies and clean construction and demolition debris; along with 5.38 trillion BTUs of energy savings toward the 11 trillion BTU goal of the ‘BuildSmart 2025 program,’ which is an increase of almost one trillion BTUs from the previous year; and $286 million in spending on green products and services that decrease energy use, decrease the use of toxic substances, and accelerate the market shift towards more sustainable products economy-wide.

"Thanks to Governor Hochul's leadership and investments, New York State government continues to lead by example and accelerate our transition to a more sustainable future,” said New York State DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos.

“I commend the Green NY Council and our Agency and Authority partners for the significant progress on implementing this important Executive Order and look forward building on these accomplishments and continue to show all New Yorkers the economic power of sustainability and climate actions."

The announcement from the GreenNY Council supports the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (Climate Act) requirements to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 85 percent by 2050.

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