A Make-or-Break Moment to Lead the Green Economy

By Patrick K. Ryan, Ulster County Executive

There's nothing like a leisurely stroll through the woods next to a rambling waterway to help reset and relax. One of the most interesting and scenic walks any time of year is in a ravine between two of New York State’s Finger Lakes.

After the hottest summer on record following a once-in-acentury pandemic, I believe strongly that we have a huge opportunity and a moral obligation to future generations to tackle the climate crisis today! As the new Chair of NYSAC’s Climate Resiliency Committee, I look forward to working with county leaders from across the state and our state partners to develop local solutions to this global challenge.

Someday, we’ll look back at this make-or-break moment in history and ask ourselves, “Did we rise to the challenge?” I hope that the work that we have begun here in Ulster County will serve as a beacon to other counties across New York State in their efforts to lead meaningful change in our communities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and strengthen our resiliency against the effects of a changing climate.

Since taking office in 2019, the work we have done to protect our environment has positioned Ulster County to be on the leading edge, not only in advocacy, but in building a green, equitable economy that will rebuild, realign, and reinvigorate our community. On Earth Day this year, I unveiled a Green New Deal for Ulster County, which leans into the future green economy that’s already happening all around us. A Green New Deal allows us to stabilize our climate, transition to clean energy, and protect and regenerate our natural resources. The leaders of the green economy will do the work of undoing generations of environmental and economic injustice, and building the workforce, businesses and infrastructure needed for green economic leadership.

Here in Ulster County, we are accelerating our transition to clean energy: setting high efficiency standards for new buildings, retrofitting and weatherizing 1,000 Ulster County homes per year by 2025, and greening 20% of Ulster County’s vehicle fleet in the next five years. We are shaping an equitable green economy by building on the success of our Ulster County Green Careers Academy launched in 2019 – combining low-income home weatherization efforts with job training opportunities, piloting green careers education in our middle and high schools, and working to make the Hudson Valley a center for green economic innovation. In April, I signed an Executive Order that directs a prevailing wage requirement or a Project Labor Agreement for all county-sponsored renewable energy projects. Finally, we are conserving our natural resources and building resilience: assessing all county roadways for storm resilience, continuing Ulster County’s efforts in redeveloping foreclosed brownfields, and working to ensure that all Ulster County farmers utilize climate smart practices.

Through key investments early on in my administration, Ulster County delivered the skills and expertise necessary to begin careers in the rapidly expanding clean technology industry, and we’re ahead of schedule in achieving our goal to use 100% renewable electricity by 2030. Now, for the first time ever, towns and municipalities that participate in both Ulster County’s Housing Smart Communities program and the statewide Climate Smart Communities program will have access to a newly-created $3 million Ulster County Green Growth Fund, which can be used to facilitate municipal projects that reinforce our Green New Deal efforts. I’m also proposing we use the unprecedented, once-in-a-generation relief funds we have through the American Rescue Plan to make bold, transformative investments to lift up our community.

I have an ambitious agenda to spur transformation across Ulster County with immediate efforts already under way and more launching by the end of 2021, aggressive interim targets for 2025, and long-term goals to reach by 2040. It’s a crucial task to shape the green economy and ensure that all that work translates into economic opportunity and prosperity for everyone.

HOW ARE YOU HOLDING UP?

Let’s chat.

A message from WSP Sustainability, Energy and Climate Change Practice Leader, Jon Dickinson

Dear community leaders, As most will attest, 2020 was a pivotal year. It required us to pause and rethink our priorities. And yet, on our behalf you courageously faced, and continue to face, unprecedented challenges. We know, because as you have navigated responsibilities protecting public health, redeveloping budget projections, and setting new staffing and community project expectations, you have trusted WSP as your advisor. Some of you are also dealing with unprecedented growth and debates about land use, natural resources management, and infrastructure development that have upended long-held assumptions about municipal governance. We understand these priorities must take precedence, and that dedicating time and resources to take action on climate change may seem tangential. However, I would like to invite you into a rapidly escalating discussion. Many of our clients are recognizing that transitioning from a more reactive approach to one that favors preparedness through the lens of climate change resilience is necessary to address current and future risks posed to the municipalities of New York. For communities to thrive, it is necessary to proactively tackle socioeconomic inequity and lack of access to opportunities, which have been underscored and exacerbated by the pandemic. COVID-19 has highlighted the unmet needs of New York’s most vulnerable populations; those most at risk to extreme weather and unexpected events, and the associated community impacts to health, economic stability, and general wellbeing. With this understanding has come a window of opportunity to introduce the mechanisms to effect meaningful change. Communities are taking steps to ensure that they have the right planning and expertise in place – policies, budgets, and a common operating language on climate change. The challenge now before New York’s municipalities is to create the conditions in which all communities can take full advantage of future economic, social, environmental, or cultural opportunities. This multifaceted step change requires eliminating barriers to inclusion and participation to reinvigorate local economies and build economic and societal resilience to combat the threats of climate change. We see you taking these steps firsthand, through our work developing justice and equity-focused community-wide climate vulnerability assessments and climate action plans. We are inspired as we assist you with undertaking actions through NYSDEC’s Climate Smart Communities program and NYSERDA’s Clean Energy Communities program — providing free and unique resources to reduce the technical burden of pursuing meaningful local climate action and helping communities connect to their peers to find beneficial synergies and efficiencies. WSP has a long history supporting municipalities to address climaterelated threats and opportunities. We understand many communities are constrained by the financial and technical resources necessary to analyze and respond to climate change impacts. That is why we work hand-in-hand with you to become part of the community organization, to collaboratively design meaningful and effective climate mitigation and resilience solutions unique to your community’s needs and priorities. We know you have a lot to accomplish. How can WSP support you in realizing your post-pandemic vision of a thriving, Future Ready™ community? How can we help you see more clearly through the lens of climate change mitigation and resilience? We, all of us, need you to succeed. WSP can help. I invite you to contact us to learn more about WSP and our Climate, Resilience & Sustainability team. We’re happy to answer any questions you may have. Your partner in climate action,

Jon Dickinson

jonathan.dickinson@wsp.com

Jon Dickinson is a Practice Leader on WSP’s Sustainability, Energy and Climate Change (SECC) team. With over two decades of climate change and sustainability experience, Jon leads SECC’s government services practice.

WSP works with organizations and communities to help them become Future Ready. We develop strategies to mitigate emissions and enhance sustainability, identify potential risks and opportunities to become more resilient, and implement equitable adaptation solutions that prioritize community and stakeholder engagement and environmental justice.