Climate Smart Communities
On March 23, 2022, the Town of Huntington achieved its official status as a Bronze-certified Climate Smart Community!
The Climate Smart Communities Pledge is recognized and sponsored by six New York State agencies and departments: Environmental Conservation, the Energy Research & Development Authority, Transportation, Health, the Department of State and the Health & Service Commission. Through collaborative community efforts on state and local levels, action is being taken, and a pledge is being made to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to also reduce our dependency on non-renewable resources.
"With the advance of global climate change and the disastrous toll that it is having on our environment, a new method of living must be adopted, one in which citizens will have a more improved quality of living, not just today, but for generations to come."
Joining the County of Suffolk and sister towns of Babylon, Brookhaven, East Hampton, Islip, Smithtown and Southampton, Huntington adopted the pledge on July 24, 2012, becoming part of the unprecedented state-local partnership to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, save taxpayer dollars and advance community goals for health and safety, economic vitality, energy independence and quality of life.
In June 2015, the Town of Huntington became the first municipality on Long Island to adopt a Climate Action Plan. The plan serves as a formal roadmap to improve energy efficiency, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and to mitigate and adapt to the negative effects of climate change.
In July 2018, the Town applied for $62,500 in grant funding under the New York State Consolidated Funding Application process for a Climate Smart Communities certification project to inventory emissions, set goals, and plan for climate action; the required 50% local match for the grant was funded by the Town’s EOSPA Green Project Fund, as recommended by the Town's Environmental Open Space & Park Fund Review Advisory Committee (EOSPA) and Advisory Committee on Energy Efficiency, Renewables & Sustainability (ACEERS).
In February 2021, as required by the certification process, the Town Board established a Climate Smart Communities Task Force, led by ACEERS, to assist the Town in achieving Climate Smart Communities program goals; at the same meeting the Town Board appointed a Climate Smart Coordinator, the Town’s Chief Sustainability Officer, Terese M. Kinsley, P.E., LEED AP BD+C, to oversee activities of the Task Force and associated climate mitigation and adaptation activities.
In May 2021, the Town Board hired Nicola Armacost as a Climate Smart Communities (CSC) strategic advisor to assist the Town in achieving Bronze Climate Smart Communities certification by the July 2, 2021 application deadline. Armacost assisted the Town in identifying and documenting the Town's climate achievements since the Climate Smart Communities pledge that helped accelerate both CSC certification and sustainability efforts. Nicola Armacost previously supported several Westchester municipalities in achieving Bronze certification and Hasting-on-Hudson to achieve Silver certification.
By taking meaningful steps to mitigate and adapt to climate change, on March 23, 2022, the Town of Huntington joined nine other governments across New York State which met the criteria to be recognized as newly bronze-certified Climate Smart Community leaders.
The Town of Huntington is the fourth town and sixth Long Island municipality to achieve certification status after the Town of Southampton (Bronze, 2017); Town of Hempstead (Bronze, 2020); and Town of East Hampton (Bronze, 2021). The City of Long Beach (Bronze, 2019) and County of Suffolk (Silver, 2020) achieved certification status.