Navigating present and future climate risks and related socio-economic challenges facing New York City (NYC) will require tradeoffs and compromises negotiated through constructive and scientifically informed public dialogue. To plan and act, community-based organizations, businesses, city government, and other stakeholders will need to continue to integrate scientific and technical information with community values and knowledge.
The New York City Panel on Climate Change (NPCC) was established by the City to provide analysis and synthesis of the current science on climate change to inform this needed public dialogue.
This chapter provides an overview of the major themes, findings, and recommendations from the NPCC’s 4th Assessment (NPCC4). NPCC4 builds on the prior three NPCC assessments, providing updated climate projections while deepening areas of prior reports on flooding, health, and equity. It crafts two new areas of emphasis – on energy and energy insecurity, and tools for future visioning and planning – that further understanding of the impacts of climate risks on the human and ecological systems of NYC.
This chapter includes summary statements from each chapter of the assessment which identify salient and pressing issues raised and provides recommendations for future research and for enhancement of climate resiliency.
The chapter also outlines a set of broader recommendations for future NPCC work and identifies key topics for the next (5th) assessment.
Photo Credit: Kingsland Wildflowers: City of New York Mayor’s Office of Climate and Environmental Justice