What are Climate Smart Communities?

Climate Smart Communities (CSC) is a New York State program that helps local governments take action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to a changing climate. Benefits include leadership recognition, free technical assistance, and access to grants.

Certified communities are the foremost leaders in the state; they have gone beyond the CSC pledge by completing and documenting a suite of actions that mitigate and adapt to climate change at the local level. The Town of Hyde Park is a certified climate smart community at the bronze level. We are currently working toward our certification at the Silver level.

The Climate Smart Communities (CSC) program was launched in 2009 as an interagency initiative of New York State. The CSC program is jointly sponsored by the following six New York State agencies: Department of Environmental Conservation; Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA); Department of Public Service; Department of State; Department of Transportation; and Department of Health.

The goal of the Climate Smart Community program is to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, reduce energy use, adapt to climate change, protect the health of the planet, and achieve cost savings in the process.

As a certified Climate Smart Community, the Town of Hyde Park will be recognized as a leader in the effort to combat climate change, and will be better positioned to obtain funding for implementing future climate smart actions.