New York is the first city in the world to report to the U.N. on SDGs in the arenas of clean water and sanitation, affordable and clean energy, sustainable cities and communities, responsible consumption and production, and land conservation.
"New York City became the first city in the world to report to the United Nations on its progress toward the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)," reports Nicole Javorsky. "The move is part of a larger trend of U.S. cities pursuing environmental progress amid inaction from the federal government, and of New York, in particular, taking an ambitious course on climate policy."
According to Javorsky, New York City has set a goal to reduce its carbon emissions by 80 percent by 2050. Mayor Bill de Blasio has also signed the city on to the Paris Climate Agreement.
The report, written by the Mayor's Office for International Affairs, is available online. "The report describes several initiatives to protect the metropolis from the effects of climate change and reduce the city’s contributions to climate change," according top Javorsky. "One is a $1.5 billion program started in 2015 through the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to construct sewers and reduce flooding in particularly vulnerable areas in the borough of Queens."
Read the full story: Why New York City Is Reporting Its Sustainability Progress to the UN
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