Our Officials Declare Many “Green” Climate Commitments —

Now They Need to Keep Them!

NYC COUNCIL MEMBER CRYSTAL HUDSON

(DISTRICT 35) 

From CM Hudson’s District 35 Community Survey:

Question: What do you wish your neighborhood had more of?  Second answer (after affordable housing): “green spaces” 

Question: “What are your top three needs not currently being met?” Answer: “Safer/cleaner streets, lack of deeply affordable housing, access to green space.” (District 35 Community Survey (https://council.nyc.gov/crystal-hudson/wp-content/uploads/sites/ 117/2024/04/Development-Framework-for-District-35.pdf) 

From CM Hudson’s Black Agenda for NYC (https://www.crystalforbk.com/blackagendanyc#fn-39) 

● Projects should study more comprehensive and varied alternatives; 

● City rules should be revised to balance individual project goals with wider environmental concerns; 

● City planning processes must adhere to the 2018 Charter revision mandating more community input” 

Key unaddressed questions

BROOKLYN BOROUGH PRESIDENT ANTONIO REYNOSO

From BP Reynoso’s “Comprehensive Plan for Brooklyn”

  • “Climate change is the most pressing threat to New York City’s future.” Comprehensive Plan for Brooklyn Executive Summary (https://www.brooklynbp.nyc.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023 /10/Comprehensive-Plan-Executive-Summary.pdf) 

  • “It should be noted that all parks are not created equal. Many City parks are too small for active recreation or covered in blacktop or concrete, meaning access to open space does not imply availability of green space.” p101 

  • “In addition to beautifying the borough's neighborhoods, trees clean the air, shade buildings and streets, and help manage stormwater. Overall, 18% of Brooklyn is covered by tree canopy, the lowest coverage of the five boroughs.” p100 

  • “Require new construction projects to follow the City’s Climate Resiliency Design Guidelines.” p137 

(https://www.brooklynbp.nyc.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Comprehensive_Plan.pdf) 

His Earth Day 2024 Instagram post

“Happy Earth Day! Brooklyn has some beautiful parks, and they do more than offer a peaceful escape. Our green spaces help to: - Mitigate flooding - Clean up our air - Cool down our neighborhoods - When we take care of nature, nature takes care of us right back.” (Earth Day 2024 Instagram post) 

MAYOR ERIC ADAMS

“the City has been working to protect these precious natural areas and resources, to preserve high-quality access to nature for New Yorkers.” (https://climate.cityofnewyork.us/subtopics/green-space/) 

● ‘“Big problems require big solutions, and few problems are as massive as climate change,’ said Mayor Adams.” 

● Assessing “projects in the city’s capital commitment plan for alignment with net-zero emissions and flood and extreme heat resiliency goals. The process also initiates a requirement that climate data be provided for capital projects and alongside all relevant agency funding requests.” 

https://www.nyc.gov/office-of-the-mayor/news/327-24/mayor-adams-celebrates-launch-new-york -city-s-first-climate-budgeting-process) 

https://www.nyc.gov/assets/omb/downloads/pdf/exec24-nyccb.pdf

NYC COUNCIL MEMBER SHAHANA HANIF

(DISTRICT 39)

Excerpts from CM Hanif’s constituent newsletters: 

  • At least three times after agreeing to help fund to pave a 40,000sf skateboard complex on green space in Mount Prospect Park, the Council Member alerted her constituents to leadership training by The Climate Reality Project NYC Metro Chapter.

  • Headlined “Climate Week in the 39th” (9/22/24) “This week marks Climate Week, set against the backdrop of the hottest summer on record globally. Our city faced unprecedented heat emergencies and rising hospitalizations due to heat-related illnesses. The impacts of climate change are increasingly evident….” 

  • Termed withdrawing from the Paris Climate Accord one of the federal administration’s moves “attacking the core values that define us.” (1/26/25)

  • Headlined “Confronting the Realities of Our Imminent Climate Crisis” (11/17/24)

    • “Last weekend, the woodland Ravine in Prospect Park was severely damaged by a two-alarm brush fire fueled by high winds and record drought conditions. For many of us in the district and across New York City, Prospect Park is not just a park—it’s a beloved sanctuary for nature, recreation, and community. Just two weeks ago, I joined the Bangladeshi Ladies Club for a Nature Walk, a project funded by my office, where we celebrated the beauty and tranquility the park provides. To see it damaged by fire is both heartbreaking and a stark reminder of the urgent climate challenges we face.”

    • “This past week, I toured the area alongside FDNY Commissioner Tucker, the Prospect Park Alliance, and my co-elected colleagues to assess the damage and discuss next steps for remediation. Unfortunately, fires like these are becoming more frequent due to climate change. The FDNY has responded to a record 229+ incidents in the past two weeks alone. NYC is also under a drought watch for the first time in 20 years, with a historic lack of precipitation.” 

    • References “consistently leading the charges to protect our communities and our values,” listing “climate justice” as an important priority.

COMPTROLLER BRAD LANDER

(former District 39 NYC Council Member) 

Excerpts from Gothamist coverage of June 2025 report: 'More New Yorkers are going to die' — official warns of rising heat, energy costs

“Last year was the hottest year on record globally, according to NASA. Studies by the nonprofit Climate Central have found the city’s tall buildings, scant tree cover and many vehicles drive up temperatures by nearly 10 degrees.

‘People's lives are at stake every year,’ Lander said in an interview. ‘We lose more lives to heat than any other climate catastrophe. Hundreds of New Yorkers have already died from heat emergencies from heat stroke, and if people can't afford their air conditioning, then many more will die.’

According to city health department data, an estimated 580 New Yorkers died prematurely due to extreme heat every year between 2013 and 2022.”

From “Overheated, Underserved,” August 2022 report from New York City Comptroller Brad Lander, https://comptroller.nyc.gov/reports/overheated-underserved/)

“People's lives are at stake every year,” Lander said in an interview. “We lose more lives to heat than any other climate catastrophe. Hundreds of New Yorkers have already died from heat emergencies from heat stroke, and if people can't afford their air conditioning, then many more will die.”“Reduce urban heat island effect with more green spaces.” (“Overheated, Underserved,” August 2022 report from New York City Comptroller Brad Lander, https://comptroller.nyc.gov/reports/overheated-underserved/)