Green New Deal to Decarbonize the City of Ithaca

Mark D’Antonio, DNV, 1/7/2022

Ithaca is taking action! The City, located in central New York, adopted the Ithaca Green New Deal in 2019 to address climate change, economic inequality, and racial injustice. According to the City’s website, the Green New Deal’s primary goals are to achieve carbon-neutrality by 2030 and to provide community-wide benefits that reduce historical socio-economic inequities. The plan includes utilization of a novel financing approach that leverages private investors to support decarbonization efforts.

The financial approach and aggressive decarbonization goals have garnered considerable attention as several media outlets, of both national and global presence, have taken interest in Ithaca’s efforts. The project is being watched in hopes that other communities may adopt and implement initiatives of similar nature. To find out more about The Ithaca Green New Deal, check out these links: 

  1. The official web page from the City of Ithaca.
  1. A recent article published in The Guardian. 
  1. Stephen Lacey’s podcast Carbon Copy, with Luis Aguirre-Torres, Ithaca’s Director of Sustainability.
  1. CNBC online media coverage.