Albany, NY – Today, Citizen Action of New York and Climate Can’t Wait called on Speaker Heastie and Majority Leader Stewart-Cousins to pass the Climate Can’t Wait Package by the end of session.
“The Legislature passed the CLCPA in 2019 — acknowledging the urgency of climate action — yet since then, they’ve been slow walking, when we should be racing towards solutions. Now we’re three years closer to the 2030 CLCPA deadline, yet they seem to be listening to fossil fuel and utility lobbyists, not the scientists and the thousands of average New Yorkers who’ve spoken out. We have provided a menu for action, from electric buildings, to the Renewable Capitol Act, to funding a just transition. With eight days left in session, we need them to get to work,” said Rosemary Rivera, Co-Executive Director of Citizen Action of New York.
The last eight years have been the hottest years ever recorded, according to NASA, with 2021 coming in at sixth place. Global temperatures are 1.1°C above pre industrial levels, and creeping ever closer to the 1.5°C limit set by leaders in Glasgow last year. Thousands of New Yorkers have spoken out in 2022 about the need for aggressive climate action to the state’s Climate Action Council, in written comments and testimony.