NY Renews is leading the fight to implement New York’s landmark climate justice law, the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act. After passing the Climate Act in 2019 and the state Climate Action Fund (CAF) in 2023, today we’re organizing the Fund Climate Campaign to ensure the law is fully funded and that its investment serves our communities, not corporate interests.
Cap Pollution and Invest in Communities
In 2025, New York State should begin collecting dedicated climate funding from a “cap-and-invest” program to make corporate polluters pay for their toxic emissions. Our Fund Climate Campaign would ensure that the funds raised by cap-and-invest go to the communities that need it most, lowering energy bills, cutting pollution, improving public health, and protecting our families and future.
But right now, Governor Hochul is stalling the cap-and-invest program’s rollout. NY Renews members are calling on the governor to release the regulations so that we can start funding community-led climate and clean energy projects ASAP.
Our Policy Pillars
At the core of our Fund Climate Campaign are four transformative policies that will help secure a healthier, cleaner, and more affordable New York State:
1.TheAffordable Climate-Ready Homes Program (bill #s pending): As the climate crisis intensifies, New Yorkers pay more for home heating and cooling due to rising utility bills and worsening heat waves and storms. Not only is this expensive—it’s also unsafe, polluting our homes and neighborhoods with toxic fossil fuel fumes and greenhouse gases, destroying our health and our planet. By making home energy and weather safety improvements free to working- and middle-class New Yorkers in our houses, apartments, and small businesses, the Affordable, Climate-Ready Homes Act will make the places we live and work safer, cleaner, and more affordable, protecting our families and our future. Learn more about the Affordable Climate-Ready Homes Program here.
2. The Cap-and-Invest Guardrails Bill (A.3975/S.4651A) ensures that the state’s cap-and-invest program puts communities first and improves public health, lowers bills, and creates good union jobs. Learn more about the Guardrails Bill here.
3. The GAP Fund (A.2101/S.3315) to help low-income households make their homes and apartments safer and healthier by remediating mold, asbestos, lead, poor ventilation, and more, preparing them for clean-energy upgrades. Learn more about the GAP Fund here.
