The City has obtained $220,000 in funding from the Department of Environmental Conservation Climate Smart Communities grant program to develop a suite of climate planning resources. Beginning in 2023, the city is working with a consultant and community partners to host community workshops that will inform the development of a Vulnerability Assessment and Climate Action and Adaptation Plans. These efforts will help determine the placement and support of climate-related services throughout the city and guide inter-departmental efforts to reduce the city’s carbon footprint and plan for how Buffalo will embrace a greener and more sustainable future. Working with our consultant, Kim Lundgren Associates, a project website will be available soon.
Climate Smart CommunitiesClimate Smart Communities (CSC) is a New York State program that helps local governments take action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to a changing climate. The program offers grants, rebates for electric vehicles, and free technical assistance. The City of Buffalo became a bronze certified Climate Smart Community in September 2019, and recertified at Bronze again in 2022, demonstrating a near decade-long commitment by Mayor Brown of taking meaningful climate action through energy efficiency, land use conservation, increased alternative mobility infrastructure, and similar projects. Read more about our efforts here: City of Buffalo CSC Profile and Certification Reports.Clean Energy CommunitiesThe NYSERDA Clean Energy Communities program provides resources and funding to help local governments across New York State execute and achieve goals toward creating healthy and sustainable environments by investing in future-focused clean energy solutions while simultaneously addressing societal barriers and economic challenges. The City of Buffalo became a designated Clean Energy Community in April 2021. More on the program and our progress here: https://www.nyserda.ny.gov/All-Programs/Clean-Energy-Communities/Tracking-Progress/Scorecard
City-wide Curbside CompostingInterested in reducing your household waste? Ever wondered if there’s a better option than putting your food scraps in the garbage? Good news: the City of Buffalo has a new pilot program for curbside composting. Food waste accounts for approximately 20% of all greenhouse gas emissions in New York State, and in the City of Buffalo food is the number one waste contaminant of recycling. Funded through a grant from the Department of Environmental Conservation, the City’s Division of Streets and Sanitation is implementing a city-wide curbside collection of food scraps, an expansion of the Scrap It! Program initiated in 2018. The pilot program is open to 2,000 households across the City of Buffalo for a one-year period beginning in Fall 2023. This pilot program will contribute to achieving Mayor Brown’s goal to exceed the 34% national average of waste diversion from landfills.
To participate and learn more, check out the 34 & More program website: https://buffalorecycles.org/scrap-it-curbside/.
Read about our program partners, Farmer Pirates Compost, on their website: https://www.farmerpirates.com/scrapitcurbside
