FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

December 23, 2020 

City of Kingston Launches Climate Action Plan 2030

Kick-off Meeting and Presentation to be Held January 14

KINGSTON, NY – Mayor Steven T. Noble is pleased to announce the launch of the Climate Action Plan 2030 process with a virtual public meeting on Thursday, January 14, 2021 at 5:30pm, cohosted by Citizens for Local Power with a presentation by Cadmus Group. Live Spanish interpretation will be available for this virtual presentation. 

The Climate Action Plan (CAP) 2030 will serve as a blueprint for the City of Kingston to address and plan for the future of our local climate and radically reduce greenhouse gas emissions over the next 10 years. The public will be a major partner in the planning process and will have multiple ways to get involved, including a city-wide survey to determine the community’s climate priorities, focus groups, town hall meetings, and workshops.

The virtual kick-off meeting will include presentations by the City of Kingston’s Environmental Education and Sustainability Coordinator, representatives from Kingston-based nonprofit Citizens for Local Power, and Cadmus Group, an environmental consultancy firm. Cadmus will provide a broad overview of the planning process and examples of the type of recommendations that could be included in the final Climate Action Plan 2030. A week prior to the public meeting, the City of Kingston will release a survey for the community to weigh in on top priorities to include in the Climate Action Plan 2030, which will be posted at EngageKingston.

“The public is being asked to co-author the Climate Action Plan 2030, which will solidify concrete steps to reach our shared climate goals for our community,” said Julie Noble, Environmental Education & Sustainability Coordinator. “Creating this document will be a monumental task, and we are asking for the public to tell us what’s important to them and devise a plan for implementation. We have an incredible project advisory committee, and we also need the commitment of the broader Kingston community to reach these ambitious goals.”

“We are so excited to present the research that Cadmus has been conducting into key areas that will continue our efforts to make Kingston a model city for renewable energy,” said Mayor Noble. “The City of Kingston has been working steadily for the past 10 years to make our community greener and more sustainable. We are proud of the work we’ve already done, and we now look to the people of Kingston to help with the work ahead. We encourage feedback from the community so that together we can create a cleaner and healthier Kingston.”

The Conservation Advisory Council, a City of Kingston commission made up of community members, was formed in 2008 to steer the first Climate Action Plan process. In 2010, with State funding, the City of Kingston commissioned an initial 10-year Climate Action Plan which laid out action-based goals to reduce carbon emissions. That plan was developed by a climate analyst and addressed a broad range of goals on the City level, such as LED conversion and transition to a green fleet for municipal vehicles. With implementation of many of the goals set forth in the Climate Action Plan, the City of Kingston has achieved Silver status as a Climate Smart Community. The accomplishments from the 2010 Climate Action Plan were primarily centered on municipal level actions and impacts, and the CAP 2030 will dive deeper into addressing municipal operations. However, the primary focus of the new 10-year plan will be community-based actions such as environmental systems change, addressing policy and practice, and stewarding a cultural shift toward a more sustainable future for Kingston. 

“The critical thing here is that for Kingston’s new Climate Action Plan to succeed, everyone has to get into the act by changing their lives and ways of doing things,” said CLP’s Board President Susan H. Gillespie. “Done right, the energy transition will mean more jobs, cleaner and healthier homes, and a more livable city for everyone ten years from now.  CLP’s job is to ensure that community voices are heard in every phase of this project. Climate justice is key. There will be a citywide survey soon, and multiple ways to get involved. We invite everyone to speak up and speak out.”

To join the webinar, click the link below:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88031341430?pwd=QzcrMzNHRDZoSmo3TUNteGUxRzhIZz09

Passcode: ^5eWgR5u

Or by phone: 646-558-8656

Webinar ID: 880 3134 1430

Passcode: 67375477

For more information, visit EngageKingston.com/climate-action-plan. 

Citizens for Local Power (CLP) helps communities in the Mid-Hudson Region transition to a locally-based, clean energy economy. Combining research, education, advocacy, and project coordination, CLP supports community and municipal engagement in energy decision-making, transforming energy policy and practice to strengthen local economies, mitigate climate change and increase resilience. CLP works across party lines with municipalities, elected officials, environmental and energy NGOs, local media, labor, and the public. 

Cadmus Group is a strategic and technical consultancy team of leading experts who work across disciplines to help communities and organizations achieve extraordinary results, from energy, water, and transportation to safety, security, and resilience.

The Climate Action Plan 2030 is made possible by support from the Novo Foundation.