NYC Appoints New Sustainability Director
Mark Chambers, former director of sustainability and energy for the District of Columbia, will lead New York City's sustainability programs, including efforts to cut its greenhouse gas emissions 80 percent reduction from 2005 levels by 2050 and achieve important air quality and renewable energy goals. He starts later this month.
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced his has appointed Mark Chambers as director of the Mayor's Office of Sustainability, and de Blasio also said he'll soon appoint a new resiliency director. Chambers, who most recently was director of sustainability and energy for the District of Columbia, where he led an interdisciplinary team at the Washington D.C. Department of General Services. He is a nationally respected expert in clean energy and sustainability, according to the mayor's Nov. 10 announcement.
Chambers will lead the city's sustainability programs, including efforts to cut its greenhouse gas emissions 80 percent reduction from 2005 levels by 2050 and achieve important air quality and renewable energy goals. He starts later this month.
Chambers will report to Daniel Zarrilli, senior director of Climate Policy and Programs and chief resilience officer for the Office of the Mayor. Zarrilli will continue in his role leading the city's integrated climate team, including overseeing the work of the Office of Recovery and Resiliency, the Office of Sustainability, the Office of Environmental Coordination, and the OneNYC program.
"Our goals to cut the city's greenhouse gas emissions 80 percent by 2050 and prepare the city for the impacts of climate change are ambitious," the mayor said. "However, with the right talent and experience, the city will be in a position to meet these commitments as part of our broader OneNYC program to create a more equitable, sustainable, and resilient city. Mark Chambers and his years of nationally recognized experience are joining a larger team of extremely talented climate experts. I'm confident we’ll be able meet our goals with this team and I look forward to working with them."
"Climate change continues to be one of the greatest challenges of our time, demanding creativity and leadership. New York City and the de Blasio Administration continue to lead the globe through our ground-breaking OneNYC program of inclusive climate actions," Zarrilli said. "With the addition of Mark Chambers to our team, the city will expand its global leadership on inclusive climate action as we prepare for the future. I'm thrilled to have Mark join the team as we raise the bar and achieve our ambitious climate commitments."