This summer, as heat waves engulf the U.S. and New Yorkers are forced to breathe polluted, smoky air from the devastating wildfires in Canada, New York's state Legislature has finally begun the process of assessing how to fund and implement our state's landmark climate law.
Read MoreAt long last, the State has a feasible plan to reduce climate-warming emissions, make large companies pay for their emissions, and then use those funds to drive the economy-wide transition to renewable energy - all while averting shifting the cost of doing so onto consumers. That is, if the system is well designed.
Read MoreAfter bouts of smothering smoke from Canadian wildfires fueled by heat and drought, the climate crisis came knocking at New York’s door again last month in the form of a stunning once-in-a-thousand-year deluge in the Hudson Valley. Our legislators appeared shocked and blindsided; many took to social media to commiserate. Gov. Kathy Hochul urged New Yorkers to use every bit of our power to fight the ravages of climate change.
Read MoreGov. Kathy Hochul’s administration is still exploring how to implement the East Coast’s first economy-wide cap-and-trade program for greenhouse gas emissions, with an eye to moderating costs to consumers while satisfying major concerns from environmental justice advocates about localized pollution impacts of the proposal.
Read MoreMethane, one of the most potent greenhouse gases, is the major component of the biogas that seeps from countless landfills and wastewater plants. It makes sense, then, to prevent that methane from escaping into the atmosphere—
Read More“Up until now, the vast majority of our climate spending has been from essentially the most regressive form of revenue raising we have, [which is to] charge low-income customers fees on their utility bills. And so it’s a huge shift,” said Stephan Edel, coalition coordinator for NY Renews.
Read MoreToday, the NY State Senate took decisive leadership on climate and energy and brought New Yorkers closer to cleaner energy.
In addition to lower bills by passing the New York HEAT Act (S2016A/A4592A).
Read MoreOn May 25, NY Renews coalition organizations launched a series of distributed rallies statewide. Check out some of the press coverage here.
Read MoreThis month, New York can pass two bills that create much-needed systemic change. The Climate and Community Protection Fund (S.5360/A.6263) would connect the Climate Action Fund established in the 2024 budget with the funding streams, labor protections and other requirements for effective CLCPA implementation.
Read MoreHeading into the end of session, the coalition that spurred what became New York’s climate law is going on the attack against National Grid.
Read MoreTo guarantee that disadvantaged communities don’t get the short end of the stick, environmental coalitions like New York Renews have been fighting for the the creation of the Climate and Community Protection Fund, which would direct $10 billion proceeds from a variety of sources—including Cap-and-Invest—to communities, workers and small businesses.
Read MoreNY Renews coalition said,“NY Renews thanks the Senate for its Earth Week bill package, which includes legislation that will help get lead and toxic products out of our homes, expand NY’s food scraps and food donation recycling programs, protect wildlife, and defend the health and quality of our waterways. “
Read MoreAfter Hochul proposed a bare-bones version of the plan in February — leaving the stickiest decisions up to her executive agencies — the Senate counter-offered a detailed version that would ban the trading of emissions allowances, limit exemptions for energy-intensive businesses, and steer revenues from the program into four spending areas, as demanded by the NY Renews coalition
Read MoreEnvironmentalists are urging state lawmakers and Gov. Kathy Hochul to include a fleshed out cap-and-invest program in New York’s budget, but the details may get left on the chopping block
Read More“The climate crisis is an existential crisis, which is already impacting every single worker,” said Katherine Nadeau, NY Renews steering committee member and program director of Catskill Mountainkeeper. “And we need the governor and the legislature focused on not only responding to climate impacts but also working to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions.”
Read MoreA proposal to place an economywide cap on greenhouse gas emissions in New York is becoming a potential sticking point in budget negotiations as the overtime clock continues. Gov. Kathy Hochul has indicated that legislative sign-off for a rebate from the proposed cap-and-trade scheme, dubbed “cap and invest” is a major priority. But Assembly leadership has maintained it has no interest in getting it done in the budget.
Read MorePowered by fossil fuel money, New York governor Kathy Hochul and state senator Kevin Parker tried hard to weaken the state’s climate law last week, especially its provisions on methane, as Julia Rock reported. Thanks to a well-organized and left-wing climate movement, they failed.
Read More“Our coalition will continue to defend against changes to our state’s Climate Act, including changes to the definition of renewable energy as is being pushed by fossil fuel interests in Albany,” NY Renews said in a statement. “We will continue fighting to ensure that any ‘cap and invest’ proposal includes environmental justice safeguards."
Read More“NY Renews is proud to stand with a movement that stopped — for now — changes to New York’s progressive 20-year methane accounting method as written in law. Our coalition will continue to defend against changes to our state’s Climate Act,” read a prepared statement from NY Renews, one of the state’s major climate coalitions.
Read MoreKatherine Nadeau, who’s deputy director of the environmental nonprofit Catskill Mountainkeeper and helped develop the state’s 2019 climate law, called the new proposal “magic math,” adding that she worried it “would only embolden” the fossil fuel industry’s efforts to obstruct climate action and send the wrong message to other states.
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