NY Renews Responds to Governor Hochul’s Cap and Invest Proposal in the State of the State Address
***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE***: January 10, 2023
Contact: Marie Scarles, marie@nyrenews.org, (646) 389-8429
Web: @NYRenews | www.nyrenews.org
Albany, New York – In response to Governor Hochul's announcement that she is directing state agencies to develop a Cap and Invest program, NY Renews issued the following statement:
“Governor Hochul’s directive to state agencies to create a Cap and Invest system could set a national standard for climate action. A Cap and Invest program can help provide New York with the tools and funding it needs to rapidly reduce emissions and raise revenue, and the proposal deserves serious consideration.
To create a successful program, New York must place equity and justice at the center of its design and implementation. NY Renews looks forward to working with the Governor’s office, the legislature, and state agencies to design a program to invest billions in climate solutions and New York’s Just Transition. Now the hard work begins to plan and implement both a programmatic and spending plan while avoiding the mistakes made by other states, such as deepening pollution hotspots in ways that exacerbate environmental racism and injustice.
That’s why NY Renews is proposing legislation that would establish a Climate and Community Protection Fund—a proposal that lays out a clear vision for how the spending and programmatic side of the Cap and Invest system can work, alongside other revenue sources. We look forward to working with the Governor to make this concept the law in New York State.”
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NY Renews is a coalition of more than 340 environmental justice, community, faith, labor, and multi-issue organizations fighting for just climate policy for New Yorkers. We are the force behind the nation's most aggressive climate law, the NY State Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, enacted in 2019. The Climate, Jobs & Justice Package is the next step in our fight for climate justice in New York.