Climate change poses serious and immediate environmental threats, but there's good news to tell: New York cities hold the promise of innovating policies that will help curb global warming and promote smart growth. And Buffalo is already making its mark.

That's good news because with the federal government behind the curve on climate action, it is incumbent on state and local leaders in New York and across the nation to be the leaders on climate change policy.

At the local level, there is much to be done. City and town leaders can work to profitably curb their greenhouse gas emissions through a portfolio of smaller solutions. They include retrofitting vehicle fleets, greening municipal buildings, investing in mass transit, and improving and maintaining existing infrastructure to bring prosperity back to cities and towns that are on trajectories of decline. These efforts combined add up to a big fix.

NYLCV, with its strong presence in Central and Western New York, will work in the coming year to keep the region on track to becoming a state leader on climate action.