Ahead of Hochul's State of the State, what do NY climate activists want?
After a series of extreme weather events across New York in 2023, advocates are calling on Gov. Kathy Hochul to include the Climate, Jobs and Justice package in her executive budget.
Katherine Nadeau is with New York Renews, a statewide coalition pushing for the package. She said residents across the state are already feeling the impacts of climate change.
“The state was blanketed in toxic wildfire smoke several times this summer, leading to skyrocketing increases in hospitalizations for asthma and other chronic conditions," she said. "We saw record breaking heat this summer, and in September we saw New York City hit with a month’s worth of rain in three hours."
The package is a collection of bills that would help the state meet its goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 85% by the year 2050.