About NY Renews

NY Renews is a statewide coalition of nearly 400 environmental justice, community, labor, youth, faith, and other organizations dedicated to climate justice and a just transition to 100% clean, renewable energy in New York State. Grounded in the Jemez Principles and in our coalition’s Points of Unity, we center the leadership of people of color and those most impacted by the climate crisis.

NY Renews operates according to the Jemez Principles for Democratic Organizing—core values that center inclusion and equity in community-led organizing. We believe that climate action is a way to confront both environmental and racial injustice. For us, climate justice means good jobs, resource stability, and a healthy, clean environment for generations to come.

WHAT WE DO

Climate Justice Policy

Since 2015, NY Renews has been a driving force in the fight for climate justice and a just transition to renewable energy in New York State. With our committed membership and strategic focus, we are actively working towards a more sustainable and equitable future for all New Yorkers.

We led in passing the 2019 Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA), our nation’s strongest climate law. Our member organizations represent diverse communities across NY, working together to ensure that the CLCPA is fully implemented to benefit frontline communities with improved air quality, job opportunities, and lower energy costs.

Since then, we’ve helped pass the Climate Change Superfund Act, the Build Public Renewables Act, the All-Electric Buildings Act, won a $1 billion on-budget investment in climate justice in the state budget, secured a Climate Action Fund with strong worker protections, and much more. In short, NY Renews members have helped us shape the future of New York. 

Upholding NY’s Climate Law

As the coalition that led on creating and passing NY’s climate law, we are also the groups that help uphold its legal requirements by making sure our elected officials are accountable to us—the people. We’ve done this through mass mobilizations, popular education forums, legislative briefings, social media campaigns, and more. We’ve also released reports that show how NY is falling far behind or utterly ignoring the law, and our members have spearheaded legal battles to ensure the state takes clear, decisive action to deliver what the law promises, including:

  • Greenhouse gas reduction: 40% by 2030 and 85% by 2050, compared to 1990 levels.

  • Clean electricity: 70% from renewable sources by 2030 and 100% zero-emission electricity by 2040. 

  • Disadvantaged communities: At least 35% of the benefits from climate action must be directed to disadvantaged communities, with a goal of 40%.

  • Worker protection: The law includes standards for labor and worker protection related to renewable energy and other programs

Climate Movement Coordination

As a 400-member strong coalition comprised of organizations across New York State, our coalition serves as a power-building and resource hub for our members. We have coordinating hubs based on regions of the state, and represent a wide array of communities diverse in age, race, location, and policy focus, united in our mission to ensure a just energy transition off of polluting fossil fuels and to clean, affordable, renewable energy to protect our planet and our future. NY Renews also works to ensure that our fight for a just transition is aligned with Indigenous environmental justice, land justice, and sovereignty, following the leadership of Indigenous Nations in the state. Some of our work includes supporting efforts to achieve energy sovereignty for the Nations, working to stop the harms from industry and other polluters impacting Nation territory, and ensuring proper consultation between the state and Nations in the implementation of our climate law.

Grassroots Support

Like our movement work, our coalition’s fundraising efforts are grounded in the Jemez Principles for Democratic Organizing and NY Renews Points of Unity. NY Renews revisits its budget annually, with any growth based on the strategic priorities identified by the Steering Committee. We never grow for the sake of growth, and we are committed to moving resources to the many active members that make up our coalition through our regrants program. Together, we are fundraising and organizing donors to build revenue abundance for our coalition, membership, and movements. 

NY Renews aims to move up to half its coalition budget to member organizations through regrants in support of our collective statewide, regional, and community-level climate and environmental justice projects, priorities, and capacity needs. Our regrants support staff members and programs that help to make sure that communities are physically and psychologically safe in order to mobilize on climate; they build capacity and create durable organizing for power. NY Renews’ steering committee members receive funds that they can use for organizing, outreach, and public education. There are also project and capacity-building grants available for non-steering committee members. Most crucially, NY Renews provides funding for staff positions at several of our member organizations. 

The regranting program has its origins in the coalition’s founding values and deep commitment to working together towards a common goal. These foundational commitments include working in solidarity and mutuality, lifting up and listening to marginalized communities, and being in deep relationship with one another. NY Renews’ organizing committee advocated for these coalition-wide regrants because they know the level of energy, time, and resources that grassroots member organizations are committing to our statewide education, advocacy, and legislative campaigns — and we believe members should be compensated for their work towards our shared goals. Additionally, these regrants are intentionally accessible to members that do not have fundraising staff and do not have the capacity to fundraise in the way that we’re able to as a coalition.