ALBANY, NY — New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has released the technical chapters of the Understanding and Preparing for Our Changing Climate Study, to provide New Yorkers with information about improving resilience in the face of climate change. 

The multi-year scientific study, which can be viewed at nysclimateimpacts.org/contributors/technical-workgroups, advances the 2024 State of the State initiative to improve statewide preparedness. It includes updated data, developed by Columbia University, on how the climate has changed and will continue to change in New York. It examines how climate change will affect eight sectors: agriculture, buildings, ecosystems, energy, human health and safety, society and economy, transportation and water resources. The chapters were developed by eight technical working groups led by sector experts and representatives across the state and nation. 

“The impacts of a changing climate have been prevalent in New York and beyond with increased frequency of extreme weather events that has led to damaging floods, dangerous heat and hard-hit critical infrastructure,” said Basil Seggos, NYS Department of Environmental Conservation commissioner. “New York’s Climate Impacts Assessment provides additional information to help New Yorkers adapt and respond to climate change by improving resilience and advancing efforts to decrease our greenhouse gas emissions and make needed investments and improvements to address the climate crisis.”

The study was led by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA). It is a collaboration among academic institutions, science organizations, municipalities, community leaders, industry representatives and state agencies from Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Indiana and Texas, as well as representatives from Canada and members of Indigenous communities. The chapters will be submitted for publication in the Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences academic journal.