New York City Mayor Eric Adams recently announced a new agency focused on mitigating climate change along with a climate-focused leadership team which will advance environmental protection and environmental justice. Rohit T. Aggarwala has been named Chief Climate Officer and Commissioner of the New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), with Vincent Sapienza as the DEP’s Chief Operations Officer. Kizzy Charles-Guzman, who teaches in Columbia’s Master of Science in Sustainability Management program, has been named the Executive Director of a new agency, the Office of Climate and Environmental Justice (MOCEJ). Steven A. Cohen, Ph.D., who leads the M.S. in Sustainability Management program and serves as Senior Vice Dean of SPS and Professor in the Practice of Public Affairs at SIPA, appeared on ABC News to discuss the announcement.
“They’ve brought together a terrific team,” said Dr. Cohen. “Rohit Aggarwala is one of the top people in the country and Kizzy Charles-Guzman is as well… All of these initiatives are all over the city government–having one person in charge as a Chief Climate Officer is precisely what was needed.”
The Office of Climate and Environmental Justice will advance Mayor Adams' stated commitments to climate sustainability, environmental justice, and resiliency.
“What you’re seeing is an action-oriented mayor who understands management, who understands government, who isn’t just talking about climate change or just doing precedence,” said Dr. Cohen. “This is really the real thing. He has put together an all-star team and given them the power to do what is necessary. This is a terrific, terrific move.”
Charles-Guzman is teaching an Integrative Capstone Workshop in the Sustainability Management program this spring. Students will work with Friends of Morningside Park, a volunteer-run organization dedicated to rehabilitating the New York City landmark, and “explore some of the resource challenges facing local park groups, the strategies and partnerships that non-profit groups can pursue to overcome these challenges, and the lessons learned from park advocacy groups around the nation that could uplift neighborhood parks through partnerships between cities and local park stewards to advance sustainability and environmental justice.”
Dr. Cohen discussed the work the new climate leadership team will need to take on to protect the city from the storms and intense weather events that have taken a toll on residents over the last few years. “We’re going to have to spend a lot of money on holding tanks and gray infrastructure, because it turns out, it’s not just sea level rise, it’s also intense weather events, and we’re not prepared for it. We simply don’t have the infrastructure necessary… This is a little bit like when the city went north of New York City to get its drinking water. We’re going to have to spend some serious money on making sure we don’t get flooded every time there is an intense storm.”
Watch the full clip on ABC7NY.com.
