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NY Renews
50 Broadway, 29th Floor
New York, NY 10004

March 3, 2020

New York State Climate Action Council 
c/o NYS Department of Environmental Conservation
625 Broadway
Albany, NY 12233

Dear members of the Climate Action Council, 

We’re thrilled and hopeful that you have begun meeting to actualize New York’s nation-leading climate legislation, the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA). NY Renews, the coalition that authored the bill on which the CLCPA was based, would like to share with you our hopes for the Climate Action Council, and the important work you will do to create our state’s scoping plan. 

NY Renews, a multi-sector coalition of nearly 200 organizations, was founded in 2015 following the People’s Climate March, where millions of  people assembled in New York City and worldwide to advocate for global action against the climate crisis. Organizations from across New York state came together to turn the energy of the march into sustained legislative action for climate, jobs and justice. After a series of meetings, conversations, and town halls across the state, the NY Renews coalition drafted the Climate and Community Protection Act (CCPA) to mandate a transition to a just and renewable economy in New York state, which ultimately became the CLCPA. 

In the four years that followed, thousands of New Yorkers mobilized to make the CCPA, and its message of a just transition for New York, into reality. From Brentwood to the Bronx to Buffalo, members of the NY Renews coalition called, emailed, and met with their legislators, organized marches and sit-ins, and educated their community about the law. 

The CLCPA is the people’s law. In developing this scoping plan to achieve New York’s climate goals, you are doing the people’s work to bring the vision and spirit of the CLCPA into reality. This includes:

  • A rapid transition to a 100% renewable economy: We have a very short amount of time to make drastic changes to our economy in order to prevent the worst impacts of the climate crisis. The CLCPA lays out mandates and goals for New York’s decarbonization and renewable growth. We believe these mandates are the slowest acceptable timeline, and encourage you to develop a scoping plan that decarbonizes our economy and transitions our state to renewable energy as quickly as possible. 

  • Significant investment in communities most impacted by the climate crisis: Low-income communities and communities of color are most drastically impacted by climate events and pollution. The CLCPA mandates that at least 35% of the benefits of climate and energy spending, must go to frontline communities, with a goal of 40%. A 40% investment is a floor and not a ceiling. The 2010 Census shows that 41.7% of New Yorkers are people of color, and the 2014 American Community Survey shows that 43.7% of New York households earn less than $50,000 annually.  To illustrate with a use case from another jurisdiction, California ultimately found that 51% of its clean energy and climate spending was directed into frontline communities, despite an initial goal of 25%. 

  • Strong labor standards and a just transition for workers: As we transition to renewable energy, it is critical that fossil-fuel dependent workers and communities do not get left behind. The CCPA initially included prevailing wage, apprenticeship, and minority and women business enterprises utilization standards for green energy jobs receiving state funding, tax credits, or support. Although labor language was not included in the final bill, it is imperative that the Climate Action Council strengthen the rights of workers across New York state and fully consider their needs in the development of the scoping plan. 

  • Democratic participation: The CLCPA is the law, and this body is convening today because of the committed organizing and participation of thousands of New Yorkers over multiple years. We expect the Climate Action Council to establish a democratic and participatory process. This includes posting meeting times, locations,  agendas and proposals under discussion sufficiently in advance to enable broad meeting attendance by members of the general public, ensuring meetings are open to the public and viewable online, and regularly soliciting input and feedback from impacted New Yorkers within and between meetings during the development of the scoping plan. We also ask and expect that the advisory panels and working groups that advise the Climate Action Council have sufficient staffing and other resources, and are staffed in a way that reflects the diversity of New York state. Without democratic participation, the Climate Action Council risks developing a plan that does not meaningfully consider the needs of the New York communities it serves. 

The NY Renews coalition, comprised of nearly 200 member organizations across New York State, worked hard to turn our vision for climate, jobs, and justice into law. We are committed to seeing the CLCPA become reality. As you continue to meet and develop New York State’s scoping plan, we are ready and willing to provide any necessary assistance or feedback to ensure the voices of the people are reflected in your work. 

We look forward to working with you to transition our state to a just, sustainable economy for all. 

Sincerely, 

NY Renews