Statement attributable to Rob Freudenberg, VP of Energy and Environment Programs at RPA

With gratitude shared by the millions of people in New York City and Upstate touched by the policies, programs, and investments he oversaw, and his visionary leadership, RPA marks the resignation of Rohit (Rit) Aggarwala as DEP Commissioner, as well as the hand-off of his role as Chief Climate Officer to Louise Yeung.

With a dual and daunting role, Rit rose to the challenge to deliver for New York City in the face of a worsening climate crisis that brought floods, fires, and drought; budgetary and legislative limitations that constrained the full spectrum of what could be done; and aging critical water and building energy system infrastructure in significant need of upgrades.

Through his leadership, Rit — and the staff who supported him — was able to:

• Bolster the essential drinking water supply that delivers over one billion gallons of clean, healthy water to NYC and upstate residents and businesses daily, setting it on a path to adapt to future, emerging challenges and growing demand, while improving the fiscal health of the system;
• Conceive of and establish the Bureau of Coastal Resilience, a division dedicated to the planning and management of the City’s growing network of coastal resilience infrastructure, launching efforts to plan for a comprehensive system, with a recommended framework to pay for maintenance and operations;
• Launch the City’s first buyout program as a pilot effort that can be expanded, giving flood-prone residents a fair way out of living with constant and worsening risk;
• Improve the City’s approach to managing stormwater, driven by improved data, and identifying the areas in greatest need of investment; and
• Pragmatically and successfully advance implementation of Local Law 97, the City’s landmark effort to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions of buildings.

Rit’s accomplishments are consequential today and must be built upon in the future. We wish him well in his next endeavor to continue to improve lives and make the City and the Region a better and more sustainable place.