NYC's New Climate Chief Focuses on Environmental Justice and City Resilience

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Louise Yeung, a veteran of New York City government, has been appointed chief climate officer for Mayor Zohran Mamdani, taking the helm of the Mayor's Office for Climate and Environmental Justice. In her new role, Yeung says her mission is to show New Yorkers how climate change shapes daily life and to link climate action to labor, economic justice, housing, and transportation.

Why it matters

By integrating climate policy with housing affordability and environmental-justice mandates, Yeung's office could reshape how the city builds and retrofits infrastructure, ensuring that new developments are both resilient and accessible to vulnerable communities.

The details

Yeung has over a decade of experience working on the front lines of climate resilience in New York City. She helped rebuild flood infrastructure after Hurricane Sandy, worked to produce streets and tunnels more resilient to climate change, and aligned the city's financial investments with its climate goals. In her new role, she leads a team that partners with city agencies to make buildings more resilient, expand renewable-energy projects, and manage the New York City Panel on Climate Change.

• Yeung was appointed chief climate officer in early 2026.

What they’re saying

What’s next

Yeung's office is developing an environmental-justice plan, building on a report that mapped pollution and disinvestment impacts across the five boroughs. The office may continue to refine the environmental-justice plan, working with the Environmental Justice Advisory Board to embed racial and economic equity into citywide climate initiatives. It could also expand coordination with the Department of Buildings to enforce Local Law 97 while adding storm-water capture and renewable-energy standards to new construction.