Climate Smart Communities Grant Projects: Local Benefits and Case Studies

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s (DEC) Climate Smart Communities Grant Program is a 50/50 matching grant program that supports municipalities seeking to become certified Climate Smart Communities and implement projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, mitigate flood risk, and help to prepare for extreme weather. The program also supports the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (Climate Act), which requires New York to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 85 percent below 1990 levels by 2050.

Climate Smart Communities grant projects provide many benefits to municipalities looking to become more resilient to climate change and make their communities healthier and safer places to live. These benefits can be even greater for New York’s disadvantaged communities, who experience disproportionately larger impacts from climate change and economic inequities.