Government Operations Climate Action Plan

The Ulster County Department of the Environment coordinates environmental policy and resource planning within County government. The Department utilizes a unique pooled resources model to draw on other departments to bring the right expertise of bear on different issues. Key areas of involvement include: natural resource planning, natural resource inventory data management and creation, stormwater regulation compliance, support of county energy efficiency & green building infrastructure initiatives, and involvement in watershed planning issues.

Carbon Neutral Government Operations Strategy

Ulster County’s Carbon Footprint Reduction Program was developed by the Ulster County Department of the Environment in order to reduce the environmental footprint associated with municipal government operations. The implementation of this program has successfully reduced energy usage and cost, improved operational efficiency and helped to mitigate climate change by offsetting carbon emissions where emissions are not presently avoidable. Ulster County is the first and only county in the State of New York to achieve carbon neutrality for municipal government operations. The County's Carbon Footprint Reduction Program was awarded the 2015 Achievement Award from the National Association of Counties (NACo) for County Resiliency and Sustainability.

The Carbon Neutral Government Operations Strategy is a component of the 2019 Government Operations Climate Action Plan.

The elements in the strategy denote a basic progression which is essential in making sound decisions. However, in an often-complicated decision-making environment, the County has chosen to make it explicit rather than an implicit framework in order to:

1) Underscore the importance of reducing energy use.

2) Demonstrate that any decision has been made within this greater context .

3) Keep focus on the operational tasks required to reduce the use of offsets to achieve carbon neutral operations.

Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Inventory

The Government Operations GHG Inventory is a component of the Government Operations Climate Action Plan. For Ulster County, the annual GHG Inventory is a necessary tool for determining the quantity of offsets required each year to achieve net carbon neutral operations.

Building Decarbonization

Ulster County is taking steps to reduce the carbon footprint of County owned buildings. This page features plans, policies, and reports about building energy usage.

Green Fleet

Ulster County's Sustainable Green Fleet Policy provides overall goals and strategies to improve vehicle fuel efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions for the Ulster County fleet.

Sustainable Purchasing Program

In 2023, the County updated its Sustainable Purchasing Policy, becoming a participating NYS Green Purchasing Communities Program municipal member. Green or sustainable purchasing means making informed choices to purchase products that have a lower environmental impact.

Renewable Electricity

Under Executive Order 1-2019, Ulster County purchases 100% of its electricity from renewable sources through a combination of on-site generation, distributed generation, renewable energy certificates and utility green power products.

Additionally, through Executive Order 1-2019, the County is committed to supplying 100% of its annual building and fleet electricity usage from locally generated re