Sustainable Syracuse Initiative

In 2010, in partnership with the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) and the Federal Department of Energy, the City completed an inaugural Greenhouse Gas Emission Inventory (GHGI) of municipal and community operations. The inventory estimated the production of 29,493 metric tons of carbon from municipal operations and over 1.5 million metric tons of carbon from community operations. The cubic dimension of one metric ton of carbon is about the size of a single-family home.

This prompted the City to establish a Sustainability Plan in 2012 as part of the Comprehensive Plan 2040. Key achievements include:

• LED Streetlight Conversation
• Installation of Renewable Energy Generation Mechanisms
• Expansion and Improvement of Urban Forestry Initiatives
• Micro-mobility Improvements (Bike Infrastructure, Veo Micromobility Program, Municipal Sidewalk Program)
• Establishment of Open Space Zoning

Over a decade later, the City is committed to continue the pursuit of sustainability. In 2024, the Division of Planning and Sustainability was awarded funding from the NYSDEC Office of Climate Change to complete a consolidated municipal and community GHGI and Climate Action Plan (CAP). Working with C&S Companies, the City will develop a comprehensive and strategic list of actions for the City and Syracuse community to implement around sustainability.

A Greenhouse Gas Emission Inventory (GHGI) lists emission sources and quantifies the emissions from each source using standardized calculations. In 2025, the City contracted professional services from C&S Companies to develop a consolidated municipal and community operations GHGI. The inventory analyzes emission sources from the calendar year of 2024 and compares its emissions to GHGI findings the City compiled in 2010.

2024 Report Findings

The findings from the 2010 GHGI provided information the City needed to set emission reduction targets of 40% for municipal operations and 7% for the community by 2020. The 2024 GHGI report found emissions reductions of 67% for municipal operations and 29% for the community compared to the 2010 emissions, exceeding the targets by a wide margin. Below is a summary of the factors contributing to the municipal and community emissions reductions:

•  Municipal Reductions: Conversion to LED streetlights and traffic signals, implementation of a refrigerant management system, procurement of fuel-efficient vehicles, optimization of waste collection routes, and the expansion of the Urban Forestry Program.

• Community Reductions: National Grid sourcing its electricity from renewable energy sources, the purchase of more fuel-efficient vehicles, the utilization of micro-mobility opportunities emerging within city-limits, and commercial and household investment in green technologies such as LED lightbulbs, heat pumps, and the installation of solar panels.

A Climate Action Plan (CAP) is a strategic list of actions a city government, community, or other organizations can take to reduce carbon emissions, adapt to climate conscious solutions and create climate resiliency.  To create the 2026 inaugural CAP, the City engaged in a robust and comprehensive engagement strategy to ensure community and municipal needs and voices were represented in the strategic chapters. Goals of the CAP direct community members towards achieving climate resiliency AND a higher quality of life, for all, to include greater access to green space, economic opportunity, and food.

Inaugural Climate Action Plan (2026)

• Funded by NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) to develop a community and municipal CAP. Municipal actions direct toward solution implementation and community actions empower residents and businesses with opportunities to learn sustainable solutions for community needs.
• Addresses climate science, GHG emission forecasts, engagement strategies, action focal areas of Energy, Transportation, Climate Adaptation and the Natural Environment, and implementation plans.
• Connects goals to existing and developing planning documents such as zoning ordinances, comprehensive plans, and cross-department master plans.

Why complete a CAP?

Climate change is accelerating, with negative impacts to our daily lives including flooding, extreme heat, severe weather events, rising energy costs and more. With an adopted Plan, we can prioritize actions and programs to lessen greenhouse gas emissions, increase climate resilience, and be better positioned to capitalize on opportunities that improve quality of life and preserve prosperity for future generations.