In April 2019, NYC launched OneNYC 2050, a long-term strategic plan to secure our city’s future against the challenges of climate change. OneNYC 2050 was designed as a strategy for confronting our climate crisis holistically — by addressing issues of social and economic injustice at the same time as setting bold targets for carbon neutrality and preparing for the impacts of climate change.
And then the pandemic hit.
COVID-19 painfully reinforced the issues of equity in our city and across the country. In rebuilding NYC, that’s why the goal is not to go back to the status quo, but to spur a green and resilient recovery that confronts inequities while strengthening efforts to reduce carbon pollution to ensure that New York is a stronger and fairer city than ever before.
Join us for a conversation on NYC’s climate change priorities and how we ensure a post-pandemic city also remains a climate-conscious city.
As New York City’s Chief Climate Policy Advisor and the Director of OneNYC, Daniel Zarrilli is preparing America’s largest city for the future while leading the 2019 update to Mayor de Blasio’s OneNYC strategic plan for a strong and just city.
In the last five years, he has positioned New York City as the global leader in the fight against climate change. Previously, he was Senior Vice President for Asset Management at the New York City Economic Development Corporation and spent five years with Bechtel Infrastructure Corporation. Daniel is a licensed Professional Engineer in New York and holds an MS in Civil and Environmental Engineering from MIT and a BS in Civil Engineering from Lehigh University.
Donnel Baird is the founder of BlocPower, a startup that markets, finances and installs solar and energy efficiency technology to help houses of worship, non-profits, small businesses and multifamily projects to slash their energy costs. Donnel spent three years as a community organizer in Brooklyn and one year as a voter contact director for Obama For America. He managed a national Change to Win/LIUNA campaign to leverage Dept. of Energy energy efficiency financing to create green construction jobs for out of work populations. He partnered with the Washington Interfaith Network to generate a $100m government investment in underserved communities in the District of Columbia. Donnel has a B.A. from Duke University and an M.B.A from Columbia Business School.
