New York State continues to demonstrate leadership for climate change action. Below is a summary of key climate change statutes, regulations, and other policies in New York State, but is not intended to be a complete list of all of the State's climate-related statutes, regulations, and policies.
Climate Change Statutes
Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (Climate Act)
- Signed into law in July 2019 and became effective on January 1, 2020.
- Climate Act directives for New York State include:
- 40% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from 1990 levels by 2030
- 85% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from 1990 levels by 2050
- Net-Zero emissions statewide by 2050
- 100% zero-emission electricity by 2040
- 70% Renewable Energy by 2030
- Requires the state to install:
- 9,000 megawatts of offshore wind energy by 2035
- 6,000 megawatts of solar energy by 2025
- 3,000 megawatts of energy storage by 2030
- Strong focus on disadvantaged communities (leaves DEC website), including a just transition to a low-carbon economy for disadvantaged communities.
- Created a Climate Action Council to develop New York's Scoping Plan which outlines recommended policies and actions to help meet the directives of the Climate Act.
Community Risk and Resiliency Act (CRRA)
- Signed in 2014, CRRA requires applicants for certain state funding or permits for applicable programs demonstrate that future climate risks due to sea level rise, storm surge and flooding have been considered and incorporated into certain facility siting regulations.
- Required Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) to adopt science-based sea level rise projections, which DEC did in 2017 via 6 NYCRR Part 490.
- Required adding mitigation of risk due to sea level rise, storm surge, and flooding to the list of smart-growth criteria to be considered by state public-infrastructure agencies.
- Required DEC and NYS Department of State to develop implementation guidance on the use of natural resources and natural processes to enhance community resilience.
- Required the NYS Department of State and DEC to develop model local laws (leaves DEC website) that can help increase community resilience.
CRRA was amended by the Climate Act in 2019 to:
- Expand the scope to include all permits subject to the Uniform Procedures Act and expanded consideration of all future climate hazards for applicable programs.
- Require DEC to take actions to promote climate adaptation and resilience.
Cryptocurrency Mining Law
- Signed in 2022, the cryptocurrency mining law, or the cryptocurrency moratorium, directs DEC, in consultation with the New York State Department of Public Service (DPS), to prepare a Generic Environmental Impact Statement (GEIS) on cryptocurrency mining operations that use proof-of-work authentication methods to validate blockchain transactions. This law also established a two-year moratorium on the issuance of certain permits to certain cryptocurrency mining operations.
- DEC published a draft scope in January 2024 and provided a 30-day period for the public to review and provide written comments. Based on that input, DEC has prepared the Crypto GEIS final scope (PDF).
- DEC has prepared the Draft GEIS (PDF) and it is available for review. Written comments on the draft GEIS will be accepted until September 25, 2025. Please submit comments to [email protected] with the subject line “Crypto Draft GEIS.”
- The Department is holding eight virtual public comment hearings for regions of the state named in the cryptocurrency mining law. WebEx and registration details are listed below. All are welcome to attend and speak at any of the hearings listed below; residents of the region will have priority for speaking.
Cryptocurrency Mining Law Hearing Finger Lakes
Date and time: Wednesday, July 9, 2025 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time (US & Canada)
Registration link: https://meetny-gov.webex.com/weblink/register/r662ea47098d67e41982416414fa6e37a
Cryptocurrency Mining Law Hearing Western NY
Date and time: Wednesday, July 9, 2025 6:00 p.m. Eastern Time (US & Canada)
Registration link: https://meetny-gov.webex.com/weblink/register/r9dfaeaa8ff23daae2df753d05c8c4554
Cryptocurrency Mining Law Hearing Southern Tier
Date and time: Wednesday, July 16, 2025 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time (US & Canada)
Registration link: https://meetny-gov.webex.com/weblink/register/r30d985dd37d16768c65263b6f7843672
Cryptocurrency Mining Law Hearing Central NY
Date and time: Wednesday, July 16, 2025 6:00 p.m. Eastern Time (US & Canada)
Registration link: https://meetny-gov.webex.com/weblink/register/r2e265dc28a3719623b3e1b98f153e30b
Cryptocurrency Mining Law Hearing Mohawk Valley
Date and time: Tuesday, July 22, 2025 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time (US & Canada)
Registration link: https://meetny-gov.webex.com/weblink/register/r3f87171a4a3fed107b7cecd3802fecb8
Cryptocurrency Mining Law Hearing North Country
Date and time: Wednesday, July 23, 2025 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time (US & Canada)
Registration link: https://meetny-gov.webex.com/weblink/register/rc624abc20ad12083b7ef71b579c8edda
Cryptocurrency Mining Law Hearing New York City/Long Island
Date and time: Wednesday, July 30, 2025 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time (US & Canada)
Registration link: https://meetny-gov.webex.com/weblink/register/r44c7ef775071ba80a2ccbfe51adb6483
Cryptocurrency Mining Law Hearing Capital Region/Hudson Valley
Date and time: Wednesday, July 30, 2025 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time (US & Canada)
Registration link: https://meetny-gov.webex.com/weblink/register/rff1879a7d6acdc7e71917193a721b5d3
Persons wishing to comment at a virtual hearing must register to speak no later than 4:00 p.m. on the day before the hearing date. There may be limits on the amount of time each speaker has to comment to ensure that all individuals have an opportunity to be heard.
Climate Change Regulations
DEC and other New York State agencies and authorities are implementing the Climate Act and CRRA through new and updated regulations. The DEC Regulations website provides more information on DEC rulemakings. The Office of Climate Change has undertaken specific regulations to establish official projections of sea level rise (Part 490), to implement the Climate Smart Communities grant program (Part 492), the Climate Act’s statewide GHG emission limits (Part 496), and to address specific types of fluorinated GHGs (Parts 494 and 495). More information on these regulations can be found on the Climate Change Regulatory Revisions webpage. For information on the DEC and NYSERDA New York Cap-and-Invest (NYCI) program and rulemakings also see the NYCI website.
Please visit the Part 494/495 Requirements webpage for more information for regulated business entities subject to those regulations.
For updates on Office of Climate Change regulations, sign up for the distribution list for updates and announcements.
Other Climate Change Policies
Commissioner Policy 49 (CP-49) - Climate Change and DEC Action
- First established in 2010 and updated in 2022, Commissioner Policy #49 (PDF) "Climate Change and DEC Action" (CP-49) provides guidance to agency divisions, offices, and regions regarding the incorporation of climate change considerations into agency activities. In 2022, DEC revised CP-49 to reflect requirements under the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA). This includes guidance for implementing provisions of Sections 7 and 9 of the CLCPA. Visit the DEC Climate Change Guidance Documents page for more information.
Value of Carbon Guidance
- First established in 2022 for use by State entities to aid decision-making.
- Demonstrates the global societal value of actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in line with the requirements of the Climate Act.
- Appendix provides social cost values for carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, certain hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), and sulfur hexafluoride at the 1.5 percent, 2.0 percent, and 2.5 percent discount rates.
- Visit the DEC Climate Change Guidance Documents page for more information.
Community Risk and Resiliency Act (CRRA) Implementation Guidance
- CRRA requires DEC, in consultation with the NYS Department of State, to prepare guidance on implementation of the statute.
- Includes Using Natural Measures to Reduce the Risk of Flooding (PDF) to serve as a guide to selection and planning of actions that conserve, restore or mimic natural landforms and processes to reduce climate risks.
- Includes State Flood Risk Management Guidance (SFRMG) (PDF) with recommended flood-risk management guideline elevations that incorporate possible future climate change flooding conditions and used to inform DEC regulatory programs and other state agencies as they develop program-specific guidance to require consideration of physical risks of climate change.
- Includes Guidance for Smart Growth Public Infrastructure Assessment (PDF) to guide state agencies as they assess mitigation of sea level rise, storm surge and flooding in siting and design of public-infrastructure projects.
