Climate Smart Communities
Local action for a climate-ready Rye
Climate Smart Communities (CSC) is a New York State program designed to help local governments take meaningful action against climate change. By supporting efforts to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and improve community resilience, CSC provides access to grants, rebates for electric vehicles, and expert technical assistance.
What It Means to Be Climate Smart
Municipalities that join the program begin by adopting the CSC pledge, a commitment to work toward a more sustainable future. From there, they can earn certification status—Bronze or Silver—by documenting and implementing a wide range of climate-related actions. These actions span everything from reducing energy use in buildings to launching community-wide sustainability campaigns. Rye was certified a Bronze Community in 2024 and is in the process of working on Silver status.
Rye's Actions to Achieve Bronze
To qualify for certification, Rye completed a suite of actions that totaled 153 points—well above the 120-point requirement. These actions included:
Forming a CSC Task Force and appointing a CSC Coordinator
Completing government and community GHG inventories
Integrating electric vehicles into the municipal fleet (4 Chevy Bolts)
Installing LED streetlights
Launching a residential yard and food waste program
Supporting farmers’ markets, green vendor fairs, and climate education events
Establishing municipal electric vehicle charging stations
Participating in Community Choice Aggregation (CCA) with 100% renewable energy
Running Community Campaigns on solar, clean heating, demand response, and EV adoption
Maintaining an active local climate action website and social media presence
What’s Next? Silver Status and Beyond
Rye is already setting its sights on Silver certification, a level currently held by just 17 communities in New York State. Achieving Silver will require continued action and innovation, including the integration of sustainability elements into the City’s new Comprehensive Plan, now in development for the first time since 1985. Stay tuned for more updates.
