Hurley attains Bronze certification from state's Climate Smart program

The Town of Hurley has received Bronze certification in New York State’s Climate Smart Communities program. The certifications of Hurley and 18 other localities in the state were announced Friday by Gov. Kathy Hochul’s office.

Among the 19 localities honored Friday, 18 were certified bronze, and one (the town of Bedford in Westchester County) rose from bronze to silver, the highest level of achievement.

To achieve Climate Smart Community certification, local governments accumulate points for planning and implementing actions that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve community resilience to the impacts of climate change.

The certification report for Hurley, which lists actions the town took to be certified a Climate Smart Community, can be viewed by clicking here.

The Climate Smart Communities program supports local efforts to meet the economic, social and environmental challenges posed by climate change. Hochul’s office said the certifications announced Friday are emblematic of “meaningful steps” taken by the 19 localities to mitigate and adapt to climate change.

Established in 2009, the Climate Smart Communities program provides guidance and technical support to local governments to take locally driven climate action. The first step to becoming a Climate Smart Community is pledging to reduce emissions and adapt to climate change. To date, 377 local governments representing more than 9.4 million New Yorkers have adopted the Climate Smart Communities pledge.

With the certifications announced Friday, there now are 118 Climate Smart Communities in New York State – 10 at the silver level and 108 at the bronze level.

For more information about the Climate Smart Communities program, click here.