The New York City Panel on Climate Change (NPCC) started in 2009 and was codified in Local Law 42 of 2012 with a mandate to provide an authoritative and actionable source of scientific information on future climate change and its potential impacts.
The NPCC is an independent advisory body that regularly publishes assessment reports that synthesize several years of scientific research and analysis on climate change and advises City policymakers on local resiliency and adaptation strategies to protect against rising temperatures, increased flooding, and other hazards.
The 4th NPCC was led by a team of co-chairs who possess a broad spectrum of disciplinary expertise, including climate science, demography, engineering, geography, architecture, and urban planning. Both the full NPCC and its leadership team were selected to ensure a diversity of backgrounds, research disciplines, and fields of technical practice. The Panel’s assessment report included chapters covering health, energy, equity, futures & transitions, climate science, and flooding.
The work of the Panel will continue to inform the City’s ongoing efforts to ensure the five boroughs are prepared to withstand and emerge stronger from the threat of climate change. Following Hurricane Sandy, the City channeled major investments into climate change adaptation and has now committed more than $20 billion to adaptation efforts. They include completed projects—like the reconstructed Rockaway Boardwalk and wetland restorations in Sawmill Creek and Sunset Cove Park—and ongoing efforts, including coastal protections in all five boroughs as well as programs to increase social resiliency, strengthen small businesses, and harden critical infrastructure.
