The Bronx Borough President is one of the key figures actively fighting to improve the environmental situation and health of the borough’s residents. She works tirelessly to address air pollution and environmental injustice, issues that disproportionately affect the Bronx, particularly the South Bronx, where tree cover is among the lowest in New York City. Thanks to her initiatives, the borough is taking steps toward greening and reducing the impact of pollution on the health of local residents. Read on for more about Vanessa Gibson’s main environmental initiatives on bronx-yes.com.
Expanding Green Space and Increasing Tree Cover
One of the biggest challenges for the Bronx is its low level of green space, especially in the South Bronx, where only 8% of the area is covered by trees. This contrasts sharply with the city-wide average of 22%. This disparity has serious consequences for local health, including high rates of asthma and heart disease, as well as a heightened risk from dangerous heat and flooding, which is exacerbated by a lack of shade and green areas. Vanessa Gibson doesn’t just recognize these problems; she is actively working to solve them.
She has become a leading voice advocating for increased funding for the NYC Parks Department. In her city council addresses, she has repeatedly stressed that greening the Bronx is not just an environmental issue but a matter of public health.
“This is not just a budget issue; it’s a matter of life and death for our borough’s residents,” Gibson says.
One of Vanessa Gibson’s biggest accomplishments has been her initiative to secure more funding for tree planting in the Bronx. She is pushing for the Parks Department’s budget to be increased to 1% of the city’s total budget, up from the current 0.6%. This would not only allow for more trees to be planted but also ensure proper maintenance of existing parks and green spaces, which is crucial for reducing pollution and improving living conditions for residents.
Vanessa Gibson works closely with local environmentalists and community activists like Josh Otero and Michael Johnson to raise awareness about the importance of this issue with city officials. In advance of Arbor Day, Vanessa Gibson and activists planted several trees, symbolizing the ongoing effort to create a cleaner and healthier future for the Bronx.
Fighting Illegal Dumping
Vanessa Gibson and the global volunteer group ASEZ WAO formally celebrated the successful conclusion of the “Don’t Litter the Bronx” summer cleanup campaign at a community forum held at Bronx Borough Hall on June 30, 2025. This event was the culmination of efforts that united the community to combat waste and work toward a cleaner, safer borough.
The Borough President thanked all the participants for their active involvement in the campaign, calling it a true example of how collective effort can change a community’s life. She emphasized:
“This campaign showed us that anything is possible when we come together, invest in our communities, and empower our youth. It was a true joint victory.”
The “Don’t Litter the Bronx” campaign, which kicked off in late May, mobilized nearly 250 volunteers who cleaned up Bronx neighborhoods throughout June, collecting over 4,000 pounds of trash. Volunteers worked at key locations like Webster Avenue, Bailey Avenue, and the Hub at the corner of 149th Street and Third Avenue. They collected 218 bags of trash and removed more than 11 large-scale items, such as chairs, car parts, and scrap metal. This was an important step toward improving the environment and raising public awareness about the importance of keeping the city clean.
Special attention at the forum was given to the link between environmental cleanliness and safety. The “Don’t Litter the Bronx” initiative coincided with Gun Violence Awareness Month, highlighting how clean streets can boost community pride and reduce crime. As Gibson noted:
“Clean streets help strengthen community pride and safety, and this is very important for creating a healthy environment for all residents.”
The campaign’s conclusion was not the end of these efforts but merely the beginning of new initiatives. The forum urged Bronx residents to continue cleanup efforts, organize local events, report illegal dumping, and actively advocate for cleaner and safer streets.
Creating an Environmental Learning Space
Vanessa Gibson, along with the Bronx Overall Economic Development Corporation (BXEDC), announced that Bronx Community College (BCC) was the winner of the first “Bronx Green Actions” competition. This marked a significant event in the borough’s efforts to achieve sustainable development and mitigate the effects of climate change. The college will receive $1 million in funding from the New York Power Authority (NYPA)to implement environmental initiatives on campus and launch new programs focused on building a “green” workforce.
“Climate change is already impacting all of us, and we must act to reduce our carbon footprint. This funding will allow the Bronx to take another important step toward a sustainable future. BCC’s initiatives, such as the creation of a Center for Sustainability, rain gardens, a composting program, and training for ‘green’ professions, are important steps that will help solve our borough’s environmental problems,” Gibson said.
Key measures to be implemented with this funding include:
- Reducing water consumption.
Installing low-flush toilets will save over two million gallons of water per year, equivalent to filling more than four Olympic-sized swimming pools. - Fighting flooding and erosion.
Creating rain gardens will help manage flooding and erosion in campus areas. - Composting food waste.
Processing nearly 900,000 pounds of food waste annually, which will significantly reduce the burden on the sanitation system. - Reducing plastic waste.
Preventing approximately 180,000 pieces of plastic cutlery from ending up in landfills. - Using solar energy.
Developing a rooftop solar panel demonstration that will provide electricity for over 100 typical New York households and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by nearly 100 metric tons annually.
One of the project’s important aspects is the “green jobs” training program, which will allow BCC students and Bronx residents to get certified to work with solar and wind turbines. This is part of a broader effort to prepare young people for the new environmental jobs emerging within the fast-growing green economy.
“Higher education is one of the most dynamic sectors of the Bronx, and we are proud that our students are proposing innovative ideas to solve climate problems,” said Rob Walsh, president of BXEDC.
Educational Programs
Vanessa Gibson joined second-grade students from Benjamin Franklin School in Morrisania for a special episode of the BronxNet children’s puppet show “E leaders,” which focuses on environmental issues. In this episode, Gibson shared information about numerous projects to improve the environmental situation in the Bronx and offered advice on what parents and children can do to help preserve the environment.
A unique feature of the show is the participation of puppet characters who travel back in time from the year 2088 to the present-day Bronx. They try to figure out what caused the destruction of the Earth and how environmental disasters can be prevented. This makes the program interactive and allows Bronx children to actively participate in solving environmental problems and learn about ways to save the planet.
The “E leaders” program was an opportunity for local artists and animators to create something new and important for the community. The show is supported by the Creatives Rebuild New York (CRNY) initiative, which funded the work of ten BronxNet artists.
“This project shows how local artists can use their creativity to change the world around us,” said BronxNet Executive Director, Michael Max Knappe.
He thanked Vanessa Gibson and the students for their participation in the show’s special episode.
The “E leaders” project is an excellent example of how art, education, and ecology can be combined to engage children in solving environmental problems. The program helps Bronx children learn about environmental issues through fun and interactive activities, motivating them to take an active role in preserving the planet for future generations.
With the support of leaders like Vanessa Gibson, the Bronx has every chance of becoming a greener and healthier borough. The issue of environmental injustice has not gone unnoticed. And while there is still much work to be done, Vanessa Gibson continues to lead her community on this path to change, affirming that every step toward improving the environment and residents’ health is an important victory.