Governor Hochul Launches "Get There Green!" Campaign to Encourage Cleaner, Greener Transportation

Climate Week 2021 Campaign Urges New Yorkers to Utilize More Sustainable Transportation Options

August 27, 2021

Governor Kathy Hochul today launched the "Get There Green!" campaign as part of New York State's participation in Climate Week 2021 which runs from September 20 to September 26. The effort will help reduce climate-altering greenhouse gas emissions by encouraging New Yorkers to utilize a sustainable form of transportation for at least one trip during Climate Week. Sustainable forms of transportation include walking, riding a bike, using mass transit, carpooling, driving an electric vehicle, or using any form of transportation other than driving alone in a fossil fuel-powered vehicle. Get There Green! supports New York's ambitious goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 40 percent by 2030, and 85 percent by 2050, from 1990 levels.

"New York is taking nation-leading action to address the threat of climate change through the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act. To achieve our state's ambitious goals we must reduce emissions from the transportation sector," said Governor Hochul. "Launching the Get There Green! campaign during Climate Week 2021 is a great way to help New Yorkers across the state understand what they can do to support these goals and reduce their own carbon footprints. From carpooling in the Capital Region, taking the subway in the city, to riding your bike in Binghamton, everyone has options to get there green to help fight climate change."

State agencies and authorities leading the Get There Green! campaign and outreach efforts include the co-chairs of the GreenNY Council—State Department of Environmental Conservation, New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, Office of General Services, and the New York Power Authority.

To participate, New Yorkers can click here to pledge the trip(s) they are going to take with sustainable transportation during the event, and follow through with their commitment during Climate Week. Participants are also encouraged to let friends and neighbors know about their green trips by posting about their experience on social media using the hashtag #GTG21. New Yorkers can find more resources on how to utilize more sustainable forms of transportation by visiting the Get There Green! webpage.

New York State launched the GreenNY Council to serve as a key resource to support reducing agency and authority greenhouse gas emissions. The co-chairs work together to leverage resources, create guidance, and make it easier for agencies to meet the State's ambitious climate and sustainability goals. To support the effort and encourage New Yorkers to take the Get There Green! pledge, State agencies and authorities are conducting public outreach, including a poster and social media in the run-up to Climate Week 2021. Partners interested in promoting the event to their stakeholders are encouraged to contact the GreenNY Council to receive a promotional toolkit.

DEC Commissioner and Climate Action Council Co-Chair Basil Seggos said, "Thanks to the State's continued investments in cleaner, greener modes of transportation, New Yorkers have more ways than ever to more sustainably get from A to Z. While we gear up for Climate Week 2021, there's no better time to discover new, enjoyable ways to get around and reduce our carbon footprint. 'Get There Green!' bolsters the State's ongoing efforts to promote more sustainable transportation options, as well as DEC's continued efforts to encourage New Yorkers to get outside."

President and CEO of NYSERDA and Climate Action Council Co-Chair Doreen M. Harris said, "As we transition to powering our world with clean renewable energy, all New Yorkers can individually do their part to fight climate change by making the choice to choose more sustainable transportation options during Climate Week. We encourage everyone to make a change to low or no emission travel, and "Get there Green!" this week and all year long, whether it's through pedal power, public transportation, or by purchasing an electric vehicle."

OGS Commissioner RoAnn Destito said, "By encouraging green commuting practices during Climate Week, state agencies and authorities are helping contribute to New York State's overall sustainability goals. The 'Get There Green!' campaign is a great way to increase awareness about greenhouse gas emissions and ways for all New Yorkers to help reduce those emissions throughout the year. Here at OGS, we encourage state employees to take advantage of the bicycle racks at our facilities and the car charging stations available in downtown Albany and the Harriman Campus."

President and CEO, New York Power Authority, Gil C. Quiniones said, "New York State has made a tremendous commitment to increasing the viability of electric transportation. Climate Week is a great time to celebrate emission-free options for daily living, commuting and traveling. NYPA's programs—including our robust EVolve NY fast charging network and electrification of transit buses—make it easier than ever to Get There Green."

Acting Chair and CEO of the MTA Janno Lieber said, "When you take a trip on the MTA, you prevent more than 10 pounds of greenhouse gases from entering the atmosphere compared with driving, on average, and we are electrifying our bus fleet and reducing our footprint to bring that number up even more. New York State has traditionally had the lowest per-person greenhouse gas emissions in the nation—due in large part to the millions of people who ride the MTA each day. Using public transit is one way anybody can contribute to the fight against climate change."

Transportation currently accounts for 36 percent of greenhouse gases in New York State, more than electricity generation, waste, refrigerants, and agriculture combined. To encourage New Yorkers to utilize sustainable transportation modes all year round, the State has invested in sustainable transportation, including biking/walking infrastructure and the Empire State Trail from Albany to Buffalo and New York City to the Canadian border.

In addition, through the Downtown Revitalization Initiative, New York State supports transforming downtown areas to make it easier for people to walk or bike. The State has also invested in pedestrian safety through the New York State Pedestrian Safety Action Plan, a five-year, $110 million multi-agency initiative launched in 2016 to make streets safer for pedestrians. Other initiatives and programs designed to achieve Charge NY goal of 10,000 electric vehicle charging stations by the end of 2021 and 850,000 zero-emission vehicles by 2025 are also already underway. NYPA is developing a statewide EVolve NY charging network along key travel corridors and in urban areas to make fast charging more accessible and convenient and encourage travelers to drive EVs. Under NYSERDA's Drive Clean Rebate program, more than $35 million in rebates have been issued associated with more than 25,000 electric vehicle purchases as of June of this year.

In addition to Green NY Council co-chairs DEC, NYSERDA, NYPA, and OGS, participating agencies and authorities include the State Office for the Aging, Department of Agriculture and Markets, Adirondack Park Agency, Council on the Arts, Buffalo Financial Stability Authority, Board of Elections, Battery Park City Authority, Capital District Transportation Authority, Central New York Regional Transportation Authority, Department of Civil Service, Central Pines Barrens Joint Planning & Policy Commission, City University of New York, Development Authority of the North Country, Dormitory Authority of New York, Division of Criminal Justice Services, Department of Financial Services, Division of Human Rights, Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services, Department of Motor Vehicles, Division of Budget, Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, Department of Health, Department of State, Department of Transportation, Department of Public Service, Erie County Fiscal Stability Authority, Erie County Medical Center, Environmental Facilities Corporation, Empire State Development, Financial Control Board, Gaming Commission, Governor's Office of Employee Relations, Homes and Community Renewal, Higher Education Services Corporation, Hudson River-Black River Regulating District, Hudson River Valley Greenway, Office of Inspector General, Information Technology Services, Justice Center, Joint Commission on Public Ethics, Department of Labor, Long Island Power Authority, Division of Military and Naval Affairs, Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority, Nassau County Interim Finance Authority, Jacob K. Javits Center - New York Convention Center Operating Corporation, NYS Bridge Authority, NYS Insurance Fund, Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services, Office of Child and Family Services, Ogdensburg Bridge and Port Authority, Office of Mental Health, Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, Office for People with Developmental Disabilities, Olympic Regional Development Authority, Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance, Public Employment Relations Board, Port of Oswego Authority, Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation of the State of New York, Regional Transport Service, Regional Transportation System for the Greater Rochester Area, State Liquor Authority, State University of New York, Department of Tax and Finance, Thruway Authority, NYS Police, United Nations Development Corporation, New York State Department of Veterans' Services, Workers Compensation Board, and Westchester County Health Corporation.

New York State's nation-leading climate plan is the most aggressive climate and clean energy initiative in the nation, calling for an orderly and just transition to clean energy that creates jobs and continues fostering a green economy as New York State recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic. Enshrined into law through the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, New York is on a path to achieve its mandated goal of a zero-emission electricity sector by 2040, including 70 percent renewable energy generation by 2030, and to reach economy wide carbon neutrality. It builds on New York's unprecedented investments to ramp-up clean energy including over $21 billion in 91 large-scale renewable projects across the state, $6.8 billion to reduce buildings emissions, $1.8 billion to scale up solar, more than $1 billion for clean transportation initiatives, and over $1.2 billion in NY Green Bank commitments. Combined, these investments are supporting more than 150,000 jobs in New York's clean energy sector in 2019, a 2,100 percent growth in the distributed solar sector since 2011 and a commitment to develop 9,000 megawatts of offshore wind by 2035. New York will build on this progress and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 85 percent from 1990 levels by 2050, while ensuring that at least 35 percent with a goal of 40 percent of the benefits of clean energy investments are directed to disadvantaged communities, and advance progress towards the state's 2025 energy efficiency target of reducing on-site energy consumption by 185 trillion BTUs of end-use energy savings.

New Yorkers can learn more about the impacts of climate change, and other ways they can help lower their emissions on DEC's website.