Hi John,
Today is a big day. The governor just signed the nation’s most ambitious climate bill into law and, thanks to the tireless work of the New York Renews Coalition over the last four years, our state is now on a path to slash climate emissions at a massive scale.
As of today, New York State has mandated deep emissions cuts across New York’s economy by 2050, including a zero emissions target for the electric sector, making New York a national leader in moving off fossil fuels.
While this is a huge and critical step forward, New York’s elected leadership failed to lay the groundwork for a just transition to a zero-emissions economy by excluding key provisions of the bill as originally designed.
A successful climate justice bill requires real worker protections and direct investment of resources in vulnerable communities at scale. Although the final legislation includes a nod toward prevailing wage standards, the governor’s exclusion of provisions in these areas means that the fight to deliver on economic and racial justice for communities bearing the burden of the climate crisis must continue.
Now, the work is to ensure that we end up with a real just transition plan where workers and frontline communities have a better deal and a sustainable future in the coming green energy economy. We call on the governor and legislature to join us in this effort to strengthen the bill and fully fund its mandates next year and in the years to come.
We will be carrying this fight forward alongside many of our partner organizations so that we win not only on climate action but on climate justice too. And we hope you’ll be there with us too.
Thanks for all that you do.
In solidarity,
Maritza
