Elijah Hutchinson on NYC's Climate Change Plans
The capstone event of OHNY’s Water Works series took place on December 3, with a talk by Elijah Hutchinson, Executive Director of the Mayor’s Office of Climate and Environmental Justice.
Elijah spoke about his office’s role in developing projects and policies that protect New Yorkers from the threats of climate change, like extreme heat, increased rainfall, and coastal flooding, and the guiding principle of environmental justice in designing and implementing these projects. He also spoke about the ways that MOCEJ gathers data on environmental impacts, creating comprehensive plans that incorporate climate risk and environmental justice into all city initiatives, and the importance of efficient projects that meet multiple goals to stretch funding dollars.
Following the presentation, Elijah spoke with Claudia Herasme, former Chief Urban Designer at the NYC Department of City Planning and OHNY Board member. Their spirited discussion covered the ways MOCEJ encourages public participation and support for climate initiatives, the vital importance of funding ongoing maintenance and stewardship for all infrastructure projects, and adding nuance to an abundance agenda by assessing and equalizing who benefits and who bears the burdens.
MOCEJ has produced several tools and resources to help New Yorkers understand the climate risks they face and learn ways they can protect their homes and advocate for their communities:
- EJNYC: a comprehensive study of environmental justice issues in New York City
- EJNYC Mapping Tool: an interactive tool to equip all New Yorkers with information necessary to advocate for and make more informed decisions about environmental justice
- FloodNetNYC: a network for real-time urban flood monitoring and community flood resilience
- Climate Strong Communities: an MOCEJ initiative working with community members in neighborhoods that have historically been left out of the climate conversation
- NYC Accelerator: a resource providing one-on-one expert guidance to help building stakeholders improve energy efficiency and reduce carbon emissions
This program was part of Water Works, a yearlong series exploring NYC’s water systems and how climate change continues to reshape the city. The series is produced with lead agency partner NYC Department of Environmental Protection.
Top photo: Robert A. Ripps