Addressing Climate Change

The Village of Hastings-on-Hudson is committed to addressing climate change through local mitigation efforts and resiliency planning. The Village has undertaken a number of initiatives and actions to reduce the effects of climate change on our community and is proud to be a silver-certified member of the NY State Climate Smart Communities program and a Clean Energy Community as designated by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA). This page mostly reflects the hard work of Hastings' Climate Smart Communities Task Force, on which  Conservation Commission members have served, and which is supported by the work of the Conservation Commission.
 
Mitigating Climate Change and Building Community Resilience in Our Village

  • Climate Action Planning Workshop. A workshop to update residents about progress on the Climate Action Plan and to seek further input from the community (May 2023).
  • 2022 Climate Smart Communities Annual Progress Report: A report that summarizes actions undertaken by the Village in 2022 to address climate change (April 2023).
  • Clean Energy Community Campaigns: Community Campaigns that encourage residents to use clean energy, reduce reliance on dirty fuel or reduce energy consumption: GridRewards™, Community Solar, EnergySmart Homes, and Electric Vehicles. These campaigns are all ongoing in 2023.
  • Clean Fleets: The Village is in the process of greening its municipal fleet. To-date we have purchased an all-electric Tesla Y (July 2020), a Nissan Leaf SL Plus (March 2021) and two Ford Mustang Mach-Es (2022). In an effort to increase opportunities for constituents to access electric vehicle charging stations, the Village installed an EV charging station in the SteinSchneider Parking Lot in June of 2019.
  • Climate Action Planning Workshop. A workshop to seek input from residents about the climate actions Hastings-on-Hudson might include in its Climate Action Plan. There were four key focus areas: Transportation & Land Use; Buildings & Energy; Waste & Water and Adaptation & Resiliency. (April 2022).
  • Hastings-on-Hudson Climate Emergency Declaration: On November 2, 2021, the Village declared a climate emergency and noted its commitment to reaching a “fair share” science-based target of 62.8% per capita reduction in GHG emissions by 2030. The Declaration was revised in April 2022 to explicitly address the need to reduce construction of fossil fuel infrastructure. (April 2022)
  • 2021 Climate Smart Communities Annual Progress Report: A report that summarizes actions undertaken by the Village in 2021 to address climate change (January 2022).
  • Westchester County Hazard Mitigation Plan: Hastings-on-Hudson Chapter and Adoption Resolution: A report that provides an analysis of the range of hazards (including climate hazards) to which the Village is susceptible. (December 2021)
  • Climate Smart Resiliency Planning Report: A report that exposes gaps and vulnerabilities in existing Village planning documents, and identifies possible modifications that will better prepare the Village for the impacts of climate change (June 2021).
  • Organics Management Plan: A plan that sets out recommendations related to reducing food waste (June 2021).
  • Biking and Walking Master Plan:  A plan that sets out recommendations related to supporting biking and walking in the Village (June 2021).
  • Community GHG Inventory Report: An inventory that document the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the community broken down by sector (June 2021).
  • Natural Resources Inventory: An inventory documents the Village’s natural resources and their condition (updated June 2021).
  • Green Concrete: Hastings is the leader on the East Coast in using low-carbon concrete. Click here to read the resolution, or watch our zoom presentation from May 6th, 2021.
  • Fleet Efficiency and Rightsizing Policy: A policy to encourage the purchase of electric vehicles in the Village (March 2021).
  • Preservation of Parkland: A resolution dedicating 112 acres of parkland in the Village, bringing the total of dedicated parkland to 156 acres or 84% of the open space owned by the Village (February 2021).
  • 2020 Climate Smart Communities Annual Progress Report: A report that summarizes actions undertaken by the Village in 2020 to address climate change (2021).
  • Post Tropical Storm Community Workshop: A workshop to address emergency preparedness in the wake of Hurricane Isaias. During the event, the presenters provided an overview of the emergency preparedness information page that is available on the Village government’s website. The page includes website links related to the event as well as a video of the event. (September 2020)
  • Community Choice Aggregation (CCA): An update to the 2015 CCA where the Village reconfirmed its commitment to the CCA via resolution (September 2020). The CCA is an energy bulk-purchasing program that allows the Village to purchase green power for all Hastings-on-Hudson residents and small businesses at a fixed and lower price than the standard rate. In October 2015, the Village passed a CCA Participation Resolution and a CCA Local Law and Resolution, and in March 2016 the Village passed a CCA Renewables Default Resolution (2015 to 2016).
  • Climate Vulnerability Report: A climate vulnerability assessment identifies community assets, systems, and populations that are particularly susceptible to the impacts of climate change (June 2020).
  • Energize NY Finance: A local law that enables eligible commercially-owned buildings in New York State to secure funds to tackle significant energy upgrades and renewable energy projects (June 2020).
  • New York Stretch Code: An energy code that is more stringent than the minimum base energy code that can be voluntarily adopted by local jurisdictions – it is 10 to 12 percent more efficient than the 2020 Energy Conservation Construction Code of New York State (2020 ECCCNYS) (June 2020).
  • Heat Emergency Plan: A plan that addresses protocols for a heat emergency in the Village, including strategies to support vulnerable populations and modalities for working with emergency services and utility companies (March 2020).
  • Government Operations Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory: This inventory, completed in the spring of 2020, documents the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the municipality broken down by sector.
  • Hastings / Dobbs Ferry HeatSmart Campaign: A campaign to help local homeowners adopt clean energy choices for their homes. Offers access to free household energy audits and incentives for energy-efficient HVAC installations (2019 to 2020).
  • Climate Smart Communities Task Force: A Village Committee focused on documenting and implementing efforts to address climate change (September 2019).
  • Mayors' Climate Accord: An accord promoted by the peer-to-peer Climate Mayors network, where signatory municipalities resolve to uphold the agreements made as part of the Paris Climate Accord (2017).  
  • Unified Solar Permit: A standardized permit application designed to streamline the approval process for installing solar in the community and cut costs by creating a uniform permitting process in municipalities across the State (January 2017).
  • Hastings / Dobbs Ferry Solarize Campaign: A short-term, local effort that brings together groups of potential solar customers through widespread outreach and education (2015 to 2016).
  • Hazard Mitigation Plan: A plan that identifies natural and other hazards the Village is susceptible to including flooding (2015).
  • Complete Streets Policy: A policy that supports pedestrian and bicyclist safety in the Village with an aim to reduce automobile use (October 2014). See HERE for the latest report on implementation efforts.
  • Green Building Code: According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), buildings and their construction together account for 36 percent of global energy use and 39 percent of energy-related carbon dioxide emissions annually. In 2013, the Village adopted the Green Building Code requiring compliance for all work needing a building permit in the Village (2013).

What You Can Do To Make A Difference: Local Initiatives

Explore the links below. Residents and businesses can participate in these Conservation Commission programs to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and help build community resiliency. 

Clean Energy Community Campaigns: Participate in one of our community campaigns that encourage residents to use clean energy, reduce reliance on dirty fuel or reduce energy consumption: GridRewards™, Community Solar, EnergySmart Homes, and Electric Vehicles.

Energy Conservation Programs: Use less energy and electrify. Get a free home energy audit through HeatSmart and take advantage of new HVAC equipment incentives. Learn about Hastings' Community Choice Aggregation plan via Westchester Power, which supplies 100% green electricity to Hastings residents.  Also see: water conservation.

Land Care: You and your landscaper can reduce your carbon footprint by minimizing the use of gas-powered equipment and chemical inputs on your property and by mulching leaves in place. Learn how on our website. In addition, habitat destruction is impacting our ecology's resiliency in the face of climate change. "Unlawn" your yard and plant pollinating natives!

Hillside Woods Restoration Project: Hillside Woods mitigates climate change by sequestering carbon and tempering the heat island effect of the built environment that surrounds it. The trees in Hillside Woods remove about 84 tons of carbon out of the air each year, equivalent to the CO2 produced by burning about 8,500 gallons of gasoline. We're working on an ambitious habitat restoration project. Volunteers welcome!

Solid Waste: Hastings' municipal trash is incinerated. When we create less trash, we produce less CO2. Learn how to “Recycle Right,” compost food scraps, make less waste, and what to do with household hazardous waste. Visit the Take it or Leave It (TILI) Garage, our local Repair Café, and learn about green textile recycling.

Educate Yourself. During the pandemic, in honor of Earth Day, we offered a series of informational sessions on sustainability topics, presented by local experts, check them out, they are timeless and well-worth watching (2021 and 2020)!

Volunteer. Get more involved by lending a hand. Here is a list of organizations in the Village to work with:


More Things You Can Do (Useful Links)

National and Regional Organizations

Local and Regional Organizations

  • Sustainable Westchester: Sustainable Westchester is a nonprofit consortium of Westchester County local municipalities facilitating effective collaboration resulting in sustainability initiatives and cutting-edge innovation. Its goal is to bring socially responsible, environmentally sound, and economically viable solutions that create resilient, healthy, vibrant, sustainable communities.  
  • Groundwork Hudson Valley: A community organization that aims to create sustainable environmental change in urban neighborhoods through community-based partnerships that promote equity, youth leadership, and economic opportunity.
  • Greenburgh Nature Center: A nature center whose mission is to ignite passion, curiosity, and respect for our natural world.
  • Untermeyer Gardens Conservancy: A non-profit organization facilitating the restoration of Samuel Untermyer’s gardens.
  • Bedford 2020: A community-wide effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and preserve natural resources in the town of Bedford and beyond.
  • Riverkeeper: Riverkeeper aims to protect the environmental, recreational and commercial integrity of the Hudson River and its tributaries, and safeguard the drinking water of 9 million New Yorkers.
  • Scenic Hudson: Scenic Hudson aims to preserve land and farms and create parks that connect people with the inspirational power of the Hudson River, while fighting threats to the river and natural resources that are the foundation of the valley’s prosperity.
  • The Hudson We Share: A comprehensive restoration plan for the Hudson River.
  • Calendar of Rivertowns Eco Events

Please contact us with your questions and ideas!