Establishes a chief sustainability officer to coordinate efforts across state agencies and other state government entities to address climate change mitigation and climate sustainability efforts.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
4386
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
February 4, 2025
___________
Introduced by Sen. MAY -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
printed to be committed to the Committee on Finance
AN ACT to amend the executive law, in relation to establishing a chief
sustainability officer
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. The executive law is amended by adding a new section 94-e
2 to read as follows:
3 § 94-e. Chief sustainability officer. 1. Purpose. The chief sustaina-
4 bility officer shall coordinate efforts across all agencies and other
5 state government entities to address climate change mitigation and
6 climate sustainability efforts in New York state.
7 2. Definitions. For the purposes of this section:
8 (a) "Officer" shall mean the chief sustainability officer appointed
9 pursuant to this section.
10 (b) "State agency" or "state agencies" shall mean any state depart-
11 ment, board, bureau, division, commission, committee, public authority,
12 public corporation, council, office or other governmental entity
13 performing a governmental or proprietary function of the state, except
14 the judiciary or the state legislature.
15 3. The governor shall appoint a chief sustainability officer. Such
16 chief sustainability officer shall accomplish the duties set forth in
17 this section in an effort to advise and assist state agencies in an
18 ongoing coordinated response to address climate change. Such chief
19 sustainability officer shall receive a salary, to be fixed by the gover-
20 nor within the amounts appropriated therefor.
21 4. The chief sustainability officer shall:
22 (a) Review rules and regulations of state agencies and submit proposed
23 amendments and/or additions of such rules and regulations to such agen-
24 cies for consideration that the officer shall deem appropriate or neces-
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD04322-01-5
S. 4386 2
1 sary to help mitigate negative impacts of climate change and promote
2 climate sustainability;
3 (b) Coordinate policy to promote energy and environmental sustainabil-
4 ity across state government operations, including the office of general
5 services, the New York state energy research and development authority,
6 the department of environmental conservation, and the department of
7 state;
8 (c) Work with state agencies and departments to ensure effective
9 implementation and achievement of statutory requirements and state goals
10 related to energy and environmental protection;
11 (d) Coordinate implementation of programs and initiatives to improve
12 state facility and vehicle fleet efficiency and promote adoption of
13 energy efficient technologies and the modernization of state facilities
14 and operations;
15 (e) Design and share with state agencies and departments strategies
16 that can be used to leverage state facilities and assets to advance the
17 conservation of natural resources and highlight best environmental,
18 technological and policy strategies to reach the highest energy effi-
19 ciency standards reasonably possible;
20 (f) Develop sustainable practices to plan for and mitigate enterprise
21 risks while reducing waste and to help strengthen commercial, cultural,
22 and political cooperation and engagement;
23 (g) Advise state agencies and departments in best practices for envi-
24 ronmental regulatory compliance, reporting, partnerships and outreach,
25 and environmental sustainability innovation;
26 (h) Assist the department of state in reducing its use of natural
27 resources through improving energy and water efficiency, and providing
28 data and tools that protect the health of the state government's person-
29 nel and employees and their families;
30 (i) Partner with private sector businesses, public and private univer-
31 sities, and government agencies to improve environmental sustainability
32 across the state;
33 (j) Participate in inter-agency working groups that develop environ-
34 mental requirements and guidance for state agencies;
35 (k) Act as a representative of New York state at the United States
36 Climate Alliance and other national and international organizations
37 focused on climate science and sustainability research and goals that
38 the chief sustainability officer shall deem appropriate;
39 (l) Inform the governor, secretary, legislature, and state agencies
40 and other governmental entities of the latest research and developments
41 in the field of climate science;
42 (m) Advise and assist the New York state climate action council estab-
43 lished pursuant to section 75-0103 of the environmental conservation law
44 in such duties of such council that the chief sustainability officer
45 shall deem appropriate; and
46 (n) Be the state's coordinator for the implementation of the climate
47 leadership and community protection act.
48 5. All state agencies shall cooperate with the chief sustainability
49 officer to ensure that the chief sustainability officer is able to
50 fulfill the requirements under this section.
51 § 2. This act shall take effect on the first of January next succeed-
52 ing the date on which it shall have become a law.
