"Action for Tomorrow's Environment (website) is thrilled that Westchester County has launched a broad based global warming and sustainability initiative utilizing the process and mechanisms for engaging all sectors of the community recommended in “Sustainable Westchester: A Community Partnership."

Climate change is the greatest environmental challenge facing the world today. It will bring changes in weather patterns, rising sea levels and increased frequency and intensity of extreme weather events. How we respond to the issue of climate change now will determine the shape of our future – our economy, environment, and communities. The debate is no longer about whether climate change is happening, but on what we do about it.

Westchester County has taken several important actions in response to the growing threat of climate change. In October 2006, County Executive Andy Spano formed the Climate Change: Westchester Global Warming Task Force. Noting that the county has a long history of effective grassroots advocacy on the environment, Spano charged the task force with producing a countywide action plan to reduce green house gas emissions and to promote sustainable development in Westchester.

Sustainable Westchester, was created to foster sustainability with a focus on the environment. Sustainable Westchester works to assure that we behave today in a way that preserves our natural resources for future generations. Since it is the collective behavior of people in local communities that is critical in this endeavor, Sustainable Westchester concentrates on fostering local sustainability initiatives by governmental bodies, individuals, businesses and institutions through education and the initiation of local projects and programs. Sustainable Westchester works in cooperation with the many other organizations interested in the same goals.

Sustainable Westchester followed the lead of communities around the world which have adopted plans for sustainability since the 1992 Rio Earth Summit, and began its efforts with a sustainability initiative in Westchester County, New York by delivering a sustainability agenda to government representatives. Sustainable Westchester’s agenda seeks the promulgation of a sustainability resolution which will set the framework for the creation of a long term sustainable development plan for the county. The resolution proposed also makes the environment a prime concern by providing that all government decisions be informed by their long term environmental consequences. Immediate action steps are urged in the areas of energy efficiency and conservation, water conservation, solid waste management, environmentally preferable purchasing, clean air and water quality protection.

Edna Sussman, President

Mission Statement

Sustainable Westchester is dedicated to fostering sustainability with a focus on the environment.

• We work to inspire the collective effort of all segments of society to modify behavior in order to preserve the natural resources essential to future generations.
• We seek to encourage good stewardship and sustainable behavior on the part of individuals, businesses, institutions and government and to work in cooperation with others to support local initiatives to advance these goals.
• We act to protect our air, land, water and other natural resources.

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