$519 billion
in adaptation spending needs has been identified across New York State.
This accounts for public-realm adaptation costs of proposed, in-progress, and completed adaptation investments.
THE SCALE OF NEW YORK'S ADAPTaTION COSTS
Climate change has introduced new risks and opportunities into nearly every dimension of New York State’s economy – with the costs being passed onto New Yorkers in the form of tax increases, medical bills, insurance hikes, damages, home repairs, and business losses. Paying for Resilience in NYS, created by Rebuild by Design and The NYS Adaptation Practitioners Network, is a first-of-its-kind inventory of the cost to adapt to climate impacts. The research reveals New York State will need to spend over $519 billion to build, upgrade, or adapt infrastructure to prepare for climate impacts. This accounts for costs of proposed, in-progress, and completed adaptation investments.
Key Findings:
- The per capita cost of adapting New York State’s infrastructure is approximately $26,000.
- The highest regional adaptation cost, $387 billion, is in New York City, where the approximate per capita need is $50,000.
- The most substantial costs include culvert replacements, sewer and stormwater upgrades, and coastal defense on Long Island and in New York City.
The findings underscore the enormous scale of the challenge facing New York. Communities are contending with more extreme weather events, causing negative health impacts, school closures, housing instability, crop failure, supply chain disruptions, and economic fragility. Moreover, the identified costs represent only a portion of New York’s adaptation needs, as many communities have yet to complete adaptation planning or estimate project costs, and the analysis excludes costs borne by homeowners, businesses, farms, and other private entities. There is currently no comprehensive statewide adaptation plan for New York State. Without a statewide plan, communities are left to develop fractured and often under-resourced approaches to climate adaptation, resulting in uneven levels of protection across the state.
New York State is running out of resources to address this challenge. In 2022 voters approved a $4.2 Billion Environmental Bond Act. Today, more than $2.2 billion of that money has been invested in projects around the state; however, more investment is needed to help New York prepare for a new climate reality.
THE 2024 NYS CLIMATE SUPERFUND BILL
In December 2024, Governor Kathy Hochul signed into law the Climate Superfund, which requires large fossil fuel companies to pay into a Climate Change Adaptation Cost Recovery Program. The program ensures polluters contribute to the funding of critical infrastructure investments, such as coastal protection and flood mitigation systems, to enhance the climate resilience of communities across the state. Since New York’s Climate Superfund was signed into law it has faced legal challenges from multiple lawsuits, an Executive Order (No.14,260,), and proposed congressional legislation (S.4340). Without Climate Superfund New York State and taxpayers will bear the brunt of these costs.
NEW YORKERS FACE ALARMING COST OF CLIMATE CHANGE
$26,000
in adaptation costs per capita.
The public cost per New Yorker to protect communities, infrastructure, and ecosystems from climate impacts.
2X the statewide per capita
New York City’s per-capita adaptation cost is more than double the statewide average.
The NYC region faces the highest costs in the state due to its coastal exposure, higher population density, extensive infrastructure, higher construction and maintenance costs, and significantly more planning capacity, resulting in more projects being scoped and implemented than in other regions across New York State.
INSIGHTS
new york taxpayers are footing the bill
It will cost taxpayers more than half a trillion dollars to help New York State adapt to climate change.
Many costs are still unaccounted for
Many communities in New York State do not have the capacity or resources to have undertaken a climate vulnerability assessment or adaptation plan, leaving much of statewide risk unknown and unaccounted for.
MUNICIPALITIES NEED MORE ASSISTANCE WITH PLANNING & IMPLEMENTATION
The high prevalence of small municipalities in New York State makes planning and implementing projects difficult due to limited resources and technical expertise.
OUR COMMUNITIES HAVE GROWN; OUR INFRASTRUCTURE HAS NOT KEPT PACE
Many sewer and stormwater systems serving New York communities were built for a different era. Larger populations and heavier rainstorms overwhelm aging infrastructure, creating an urgent need for investments that can reduce flooding, prevent sewage overflows, and improve water quality.
recommendations for new york state
1
Establish Long Term Funding Streams for Climate Adaptation
New York State needs additional sources of revenue to support the scale of adaptation necessary to protect communities, infrastructure, and natural systems from increasing climate risks.
2
Expand Technical Assistance Programs
Cultivate and support regional partnerships and innovative capacity-building models to support project development and implementation, and learn from successful models in other states.
3
Complete the Statewide Adaptation & Resilience Plan
Provide funding where needed and improve coordination while centralizing and sharing information on climate risks, adaptation costs, implementation efforts, best practices, and remaining knowledge gaps.
4
Develop Accessible Statewide Flood Data Tools
Create accessible statewide coastal, riverine, and stormwater flood data tools so municipalities and residents can better understand risk and guide infrastructure planning.
5
Integrate Mitigation into Adaptation
Prioritize nature-based solutions, support long-term investment in green infrastructure maintenance, pair projects with energy efficiency and weatherization improvements, and explore bioeconomy opportunities that strengthen local economies.
6
Strengthen the Community Risk and Resiliency Act
Ensure that new infrastructure is built to withstand climate events throughout its life cycle. Permit infrastructure that addresses both physical and social vulnerabilities, multiplying taxpayers' investments. Support additional DEC permitting capacity and resources to help communities plan these projects.
7
Expand Resilient New York statewide
Build on the program's current work addressing riverine flooding to support more watersheds and broaden scope to include coastal resilience.
8
Support Research and Innovation for Cooling Strategies
Explore creative solutions for cooling in assisted living facilities, schools, correctional facilities, and shelters which are critical for some of our most vulnerable populations and present large financial hurdles.
Climate change in new york quick facts
1-2 additional feet of sea level rise
Sea level along New York State’s coastline has risen almost 1 foot in the past century and is projected to increase by another 1 to 2 feet by the midcentury (NYS Climate Impacts Assessment 2024), New York State has 2,625 miles of shoreline. (NOAA Office for Coastal Management)
30-46 Days Over 90°F
The risks from extreme heat in New York State continue to grow. Heat kills more New Yorkers on average than any other weather-related hazard. New York State projects a substantial increase in days over 90°F, particularly in urban areas. By the 2050s, New York City is expected to experience approximately 30–46 days annually with the heat index reaching 95°F or above, compared to an average of six such days per year between 1981 and 2010. (Extreme Heat in New York State Summary of Impacts and Vulnerabilities)
100% of Counties Have Experienced a Federally Declared Disaster
Since 2011, every single county in New York state has experienced a federally declared major disaster event caused by extreme weather. (Rebuild by Design, Atlas of Disaster, 2024)
EXPLORE NYS climate adaptation needs & INVESTMENTS
METHODOLOGY
- Rebuild identified public sector costs of adaptation investments primarily from post-Hurricane Sandy through 2050, with the exception of a statewide wastewater needs assessment released in 2008.
- Rebuild analyzed both funded and unfunded projects that have already been proposed, are partially or fully designed/planned, and partially or totally complete.
- Rebuild analyzed over 700 plans and projects, including resilience plans, flood mitigation plans, hazard mitigation plans. The plans and projects were categorized into project types which include: (i) coastal, (ii) flood mitigation/protection, (iii) weatherization, (iv) green infrastructure, (v) ecological restoration, (vi) stormwater management, (vii) heat mitigation, (viii) culverts/bridges, (ix) flood risk reduction, (x) sewer, and (xi) other weather-related hazard mitigation.
- Rebuild analyzed projects and plans from federal, state, local, and non-profit sources in the public realm including resilience plans, flood mitigation plans, stormwater analyses, and hazard mitigation plans. Key sources include: Grist “Where did billions in climate and infrastructure spending go?” Map, NYS Environmental Bond Current Projects Interactive Map, and Mitigate NY Local Actions Dashboard.
- When cost estimates were listed as a range, Rebuild considered the high end of the range in order to incorporate rising costs due to inflation, rising construction costs, and volatile global trade conditions, e.g. $4 million–$10 million → $10 million.
- When cost estimates were listed as greater than or less than $x, Rebuild considered the base number, e.g. x > $5 million → $5 million.
- State per capita cost = ((“statewide” costs) + (sum of regional totals)) / state population.
- Regional per capita costs = (statewide costs / state population) + (regional cost / regional population).
- Per capita is defined as per person.
SHARE A SCOPED ADAPTATION PROJECT
New climate adaptation needs emerge every day, and our research has primarily focused on larger-scale investments. Help expand our research by sharing adaptation projects or needs that have cost estimates which are not yet represented in our dataset. Our inventory will be updated to incorporate submissions monthly.
JOIN THE NYS ADAPTATION PRACTITIONERS NETWORK
The Network is composed of over 150 non-profit, academic, and state agency practitioners who work together to accelerate climate adaptation in New York State and advise agencies on implementing resilience. We represent communities across New York, with a focus on bringing Adaptation Practition
- Break down silos and cultivate collaborations across the field of climate adaptation,
- Share knowledge across disciplines and geographies
- Identify best practices to replicate, scale, and inform future projects and policies.
