Testimony of NY Renews Executive Director Stephan Edel before the Joint Budget Hearing on Environmental Conservation
Testimony submitted January 28, 2025
NY Renews is a multi-sectoral coalition consisting of nearly 400 member organizations across New York State, and the driving force behind the nation’s most ambitious and progressive climate law, the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA). Our governance is shaped by a diverse range of member organizations, including those focused on environmental justice, community organizing, labor, faith, youth, business, housing justice, and more across New York State.
Among the many vital issues in this year’s budget, one of the most important is the direction of the state’s efforts on climate change and the hundreds of billions of dollars needed for climate mitigation, adaptation, energy transition, and economic development to support communities impacted by climate change. The Legislature and the Governor were responsive to the needs last session when it comes to remediation and resiliency (i.e., past harms and protecting our infrastructure against future harms) when you passed the Climate Change Superfund Act and the Governor signed it. We would welcome the opportunity to suggest ways to raise revenue in an equitable manner to generate the billions needed for energy transition and the related work that needs to be done, like building affordable green housing.
The Urgency of This Moment
Earlier this month, Governor Kathy Hochul released her 2025 State of the State and the proposed annual state budget. Meanwhile, much of Southern California continued to burn and communities across New York were still recovering from unprecedented wildfires and extreme weather. And in between these events, a new administration was sworn in nationally, one that is actively hostile to climate action. In her release, the Governor claimed that New York was leading on climate, stating, “Acknowledging that the cost of inaction greatly outweighs the cost of any actions we can take together, New York will continue to pursue an aggressive agenda in transitioning to a sustainable green energy economy, in a way that is both environmentally effective and economically affordable for all New Yorkers.” However, the State of the State policy proposals and the Executive Budget failed to even include the initiatives her administration had been supporting for years. In a last-minute shift, the Governor seemed to mislead both the legislature and public, claiming progress on climate action while undermining years of work to advance the CLCPA and secure the necessary funding.
The Impacts of Climate Change Are Increasingly Severe and Already Here In New York
Rising Sea Levels
These not only cause flooding but also bring about increasingly serious challenges in maintaining safe, usable water and functioning infrastructure.
Infrastructure Damage: Rising sea levels threaten critical infrastructure, such as subway systems, airports, and power plants.
Heatwaves and Extreme Weather
Heat-Related Illnesses: More frequent and intense heatwaves pose severe health risks, especially for vulnerable populations like the elderly, children, and people with pre-existing health conditions. Extreme temperatures can lead to heat exhaustion, heat stroke, and other life-threatening illnesses. New Yorkers are literally dying from the heat.
Power Outages: Extreme heat can lead to increased demand for air conditioning, putting a strain on the power grid and causing outages. These outages have now become routine in many areas of New York and are becoming increasingly common. (Source: New York Independent System Operator)
Changes in Precipitation Patterns
Floods and Droughts: Shifts in precipitation patterns are causing more frequent flash floods and prolonged droughts. (Source: New York State Climate Office)
Impacts on the Tourism Industry: These changes are raising costs and disrupting skiing and other winter sports, while also creating safety concerns and additional challenges for hiking and other summer activities.
Invasive Species and Diseases
Ecological Disruption: Warmer temperatures enable invasive species to thrive, displacing native wildlife. (Source: The Nature Conservancy)
Vector-Borne Diseases: Expanding tick and mosquito habitats increase the risk of diseases like Lyme disease and West Nile virus. (Source: New York State Department of Environmental Conservation)
Air Quality Degradation
Smog and Pollution: Higher temperatures and more frequent heatwaves contribute to increased concentrations of ground-level ozone and particulate matter. (Source: New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene)
Health Impacts: Poor air quality exacerbates respiratory diseases. For instance, asthma has led to increased hospitalizations, affecting about 10.0 percent (more than 400,000) of children and 9.9 percent (more than 1.5 million) of adults in New York. There has also been a considerable impact on school absenteeism and missed days of work. (Source: New York State Department of Health and the American Lung Association)
Economic Impacts
Tourism: Changing weather patterns may disrupt peak tourism seasons, negatively impacting local economies. (Source: New York State Department of Economic Development)
Infrastructure Costs: Adapting and reinforcing infrastructure to withstand climate change impacts will require significant investments. (Source: New York State Energy Research and Development Authority)
Agricultural Impacts: Unpredictable weather reduces crop yields and farm revenues across the state. (Source: Cornell University)
Migration and Immigration: Irregular and unpredictable migration patterns are creating less stable communities.
Upholding the Nation-Leading Standards of New York’s Climate Law Will Make New York More Affordable and Improve Public Health and Safety
I would like to begin by highlighting one key issue. Early on, the legislature—particularly the Assembly—fought to protect the integrity and strength of the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA), securing meaningful victories for our communities and climate efforts. Unfortunately, the issue I am here to testify about is a threat to a key victory. The CLCPA incorporates strong science-based standards and definitions, including specific accounting for methane and strong processes for defining Disadvantaged Communities (DAC). However, the Governor's budget language contains several points that aim to undermine New York State’s definitions and directions. These points suggest the administration intends to move New York away from our strong standards and adopt weaker mandates, all in the name of administrative convenience and in an effort to align with other states and the EPA. There is no reason why New York cannot or should not lead the nation by enforcing more effective standards than those set by an EPA constrained by a conservative Congress or even the standards used in New Hampshire or Connecticut. Loosening standards would imperil the lives of New Yorkers for the sake of administrative ease. If we want to meaningfully address the climate crisis and health-damaging pollution in New York State, we need to aggressively protect the standards in the CLCPA.
The 2025-2026 Budget is a Tremendous Opportunity
If done right, that means cleaner air, more healthy thriving communities, and increased revenue to spend on infrastructure and the climate transition. The New York State legislature must take the lead in developing this program by addressing the vagueness and shortcomings in the Governor's Executive Budget Proposal. Most importantly, it must ensure that the final program protects Disadvantaged and Environmental Justice Communities and creates visible benefits for their constituencies. Establishing a transparent and accountable process for climate spending and economic development is crucial, as is ramping up investment and creating programs now, even before the cap and invest system is officially in place. This is a key opportunity to improve affordability, public health, safety, and energy systems.
Rapid Action to Decarbonize Is Not Only Necessary—It Will Also Benefit the State Economy
Nearly every analysis shows that shifting away from fossil fuels will have a dramatic net benefit to New York State’s economy. At this very moment, we send more than $39 billion out of state for fossil fuels—funds that could have been reinvested into benefiting our communities, rather than fueling record profits for out-of-state oil companies. To reach the CLCPAs ambitious mandates and decarbonization goals, we need to see investments into market conditions that scale up solutions and ease climatic impacts but also invigorate the states economy, such as decarbonizing and retrofitting the building sector. Building decarbonization is uniquely positioned to improve both tenant health and decrease bill costs, develop a new workforce that is knowledgeable and adept around new and energy efficient building technologies while also acting as direct evidence that the state can become early adopters of deep energy retrofits while meeting the gaps and needs in business operations; allowing the state, stakeholders and state residents to take advantage of the many benefits of these efforts. Investment into the efforts will be worth the end results.
Rapid Action to Decarbonize Will Not Only Benefit the State Economy -- It Will Save Lives
I would be remiss if I did not also point out that these actions will literally save the lives of your constituents. Pollution reductions will save the lives of your most vulnerable constituents and have a greater benefit for Black and Brown communities, who bear the heaviest burdens. There is no legislative district in this state that does not have a disadvantaged community disproportionately suffering from pollution. Your communities are paying a heavy price—in health, healthcare costs, Medicaid, missed workdays and school days, more visits to the emergency room, lost productivity, and higher public health costs—all because of pollution.
There Are Meaningful Budgetary Actions That the State Can and Should Take
There is an urgent need to have more funds available at this critical moment—and it’s not by the millions, it is by the billions. Available state and federal funding is dwindling and the money that once seemed promising is now going away. Climate funding doesn’t just touch upon environmental causes—it is an intersectional issue impacting multiple other sectors such as housing, transit, employment, education, physical and mental health and more. Without active available funds to bring about opportunities and drive development, the impact will be felt by everyone, not just a select few. This is a critical moment we cannot let slip away to secure more funding and make significant progress on the CLCPA.
What We Need To See the State Prioritize In Spending In This Budget
Move forward with Cap-and-Invest regulations or legislation to ensure that funds are available for this budget year.
Ensure that climate funding from Cap-and-Invest or other sources is directed to the Climate Action Fund in this year's budget. This includes support funding for low- to moderate-income (LMI) households, creating new programs through the Climate Action Fund to help all New Yorkers access housing and building upgrades for decarbonization, and funding community-directed climate grants.
In her budget address, the Governor called for at least $1 billion in new funding to expand affordability and public safety through climate spending. The legislature should hold the Governor to that commitment and work with the administration to secure at least $1 billion for the Climate Action Fund, even if it is not predicated on Cap-and-Invest funds anticipated for this year.
Additionally, the legislature can continue to push for funding through the Climate Action Fund for specific line items, including:
Collaborating with government agencies and energy companies to fund:
Training for upskilling in the clean energy sector.
Jobs, workshops, apprenticeships, and internships for people in disadvantaged communities (DACs).
Collaborating with the transportation and technology sectors to advance:
Electric vehicle (EV) development and public transportation powered by clean energy.
Heat pumps development and promote their use.
Smart grid development for one that can reliably handle a greater electricity load.
Work with the building sector to advance:
Building electrification and retrofits.
Stricter building codes that require buildings to become more energy efficient.
Upgrading low-income housing.
Upgrading homes and infrastructure to better withstand flooding and other severe weather events.
In conclusion, thank you for your attention and consideration. It is urgent that New York State continue to not just act, but lead, on climate change - it is an urgent health and safety threat to New Yorkers and only through aggressive legislative and budgetary action can our elected leaders protect their constituents, and with them the entire world.
Best Regards,
Stephan Edel
NY Renews Executive Director; On behalf of the NY Renews Steering Committee and Membership
•••
Appendices:
NY Renews Fund Climate One-Pager and Cap and Invest One-Pager
Recent Research Reports by Member organizations
New York City Environmental Justice Alliance and Resources for the Future joint report; New York State’s Cap-Trade-and-Invest Program Can Financially Benefit Many Households
NY Renews and New York Lawyers for the Public Interest joint report; Flouting the Law - Major State Agencies are New York’s Climate Mandates
Full list of members:
NY Renews is a statewide coalition of nearltyy 400 groups that was the moving force behind the 2019 Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA). NY Renews is a multi-sector climate, jobs, and justice coalition working towards action on climate, jobs, and justice. In all parts of NY State, our members represent hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers from every constituency in the state, including community groups, environmental justice groups, labor unions, environmental organizations, businesses, faith organizations, and more. For more information contact us at info@nyrenews.org NY Renews is coordinated by a Steering Committee, indicated in bold.
2811
21C4E Inc.
32BJ SEIU
350 Capital Region
350 Plattsburgh
350.org
350Brooklyn
350NYC
A Better Way
Action Corps NYC
ALIGN - NY Alliance for A Greater NY
Alive Structures
All Our Energy
All SoulsNYC climate Justice
Alliance for a Green Economy
Alliance for Climate Education
Aurorans for Climate and Energy Sense (ACES)
AVillage, Inc.
Aytzim: Ecological Judaism
Basilica Hudson
Bay Ridge Environmental Group
Big Reuse
Binghamton Regional Sustainability Coalition
BiotoxinFoundation.org
BK ROT
Brightest
Brooklyn Movement Center
Brooklyn Progressive Alliance
Brooklyn Resisters
Buddhist Action Coalition - Upper Hudson & Berkshires
Build A Better Planet
Business Forward
C4 - Christians Concerned About Climate Change
C4 | Christians Concerned About Climate Change
Campaign for Renewable Energy
Capital District DSA (formerly Albany DSA)
Capital NYPAN (formerly The Bernie Sanders Network)
Capital Region Interfaith Creation Care Coalition
Carroll Gardens Association
Catskill Mountainkeeper
CD17Indivisible
Center for Bioregional Living
Center for disaster resilient solutions 501(c)(3)
Center for Earth Ethics
Center for Popular Democracy
Center for Social Inclusion
Center For Working Families / NY Working Families
Central Brooklyn Independent Democrats
Central New York Citizen in Action, Inc.
Central Synagogue
Citizen Action of New York
Citizens Climate Lobby Albany Chapter
Citizens for Local Power
Citizens' Climate Lobby NY Legislative Team
Citizens' Climate Lobby Rochester Chapter
City Island Rising
City Island Rising, Inc.
Clean Air Coalition of Coeymans Rave
Clean Air Coalition of Greater Raveva and Coeymans
Clean and Healthy New York
Clean Energy Technology Resources, LLC
Cleaner Oceans Institute
Cleanup North Brooklyn
Climate Action Mondays
Climate Change Awareness & Action
Climate Change Working Group of Indivisible Mohawk Valley
Climate Changers
Climate Hawks Vote
Climate Justice Coalition of WNY
Climate Justice Committee of CNY Solidarity .org
Climate Justice Cornell
Climate Reality Project, Finger Lakes Greater Region NY Chapter
Climate Reality Project: Northern Adirondack Region, NY
Climate Realty Project, Chautauqua County Chapter
Climate Science Communication for Youth
Coalition for Economic Justice
Coalition for Sustainable Economic Development
Coalition for Wetlands & Forest
College Democrats of New York
Colorbrightongreen.org
Common Energy
Communications Workers of America - District 1
Communications Workers of America Local 1108
Community Advocates for Sustainable Environment
Community Voices Heard
Cooperative Economics Alliance of NYC
Council of Municipal Retiree Organizations of NYC -COMRO
Creation Care Committee of First Reformed Church Schenectady
Creation Care Community in the Episcopal Diocese of Long Island
Democratic Socialists of America- NYC Chapter
Democratic Socialists of America: Suffolk County Chapter
Demos
Draft Bernie New York
Drawdown NYC
Dutchess County Progressive Action Alliance
Earth Celebrations
Earthjustice
East New York Restoration LDC
El Batey Inc
El Puente
Emerald Cities Collaborative
Empire State Indivisible
Empire State Progressives
Environment New York
Environmental Action Coalition
Environmental Advocates of New York
Environmental Investigation Agency
Environmental Justice Ministry of First Unitarian Church of Rochester
Faith in New York
Fast Food Justice
Fifth Avenue Committee
First Reformed Church of Schenectady
Flower City Noire Collective
For the Many (Formerly Nobody Leaves Mid-Hudson)
Forest Hills High School Green Team
Free the People WNY
Fridays For Future NYC
Friends of Columbia Solar
Friends of the Earth U.S.
Fruit Belt Community Land Trust
GOLES
Grassroots Gardens WNY
Green Beacon Coalition
Green Education and Legal Fund
Green For All
Green Owls
Green Schools Alliance
GreenFaith
GreenFeen
Greeningfullife
GreeningUSA
GRID Alternatives
Groundwork Buffalo
HA:N UMC
HabitatMap
Haitian American Political Action Committee of New York , Inc
Hamilton College Democrats
Harlem Climate Caucus
Hazon
Hudson Center for Community and Environment
Human Impacts Institute
Humanists of Long Island
HUMuS - Huntington Mobilization for Sustainability
IBEW Local 11 Renew
Indivisible Harlem
Indivisible Hudson Valley
Indivisible Nassau County
Indivisible Nation BK
Interfaith Climate Justice Community of WNY
Interfaith Impact of NYS
Inwood Indivisible
Jewish Climate Action NYC
Jobs to Move America
Joule Community Power
Judson Memorial Church
Kinetic Communities Consulting Corporation
La Plaza Cultural Community Garden
Labor Religion Coalition of New York State
Leaders of Environmental Awareness and Protection (LEAP)
Liberty Renewables
Life Sciences Secondary School
Long Island Activists
Long Island Jobs with Justice
Long Island Progressive Coalition
Make the Road New York
Massachusetts Avenue Project
Metro Justice
Mid Hudson Valley DSA
Mid Hudson Valley Sunrise
MIHS FIGHT AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
Millennials For Revolution
Moms Clean Air Force
Mothers on the Move
Mothers Out Front
Mountain Rise United Church of Christ Green climate Action Team
Move Forward Staten Island
Movement for a People's Party (formerly DraftBernie.org)
Muslims for Progress
NACA
Nassau County Democratic Socialists of America
Nassau Hiking & Outdoor Club
National Association of Social Workers - NYS Chapter
National Young Farmers Coalition
New Economy Project
New Paltz Climate Action Coalition
New York Civil Liberties Union
New York Climate Advocacy Project
New York Indivisible
New York Interfaith Power and Light
New York Lawyers for the Public Interest
New York Progressive Action Network
New York Public Interest Research Group (NYPIRG)
New York State Council of Churches
New York UU Justice
New York Youth Climate Leaders
New York Youth Climate Strike
Newport Ventures
Newtown Creek Alliance
NexGen WOWTech, llc
Niagara Share
North American Climate, Conservation and Environment(NACCE
North American Climate, Conservation and Environment(NACCE)
North Brooklyn Neighbors
North Brooklyn Neighbors
Northern Power & Light, Inc
Northwest Bronx Community and Clergy Coalition
Northwest Bronx Indivisble
NW Bronx Indivisible
NY Small Farma
NY02 Indivisible
NYC Environmental Justice Alliance
NYC H2O
NYS ATU
NYSNA - NY State Nurses Association
NYU Divest
One Queens Indivisible
Open Buffalo
Operation Resilient Living and Innovation, Plus
Our Climate
Our Power
Partners for Climate Action
Partnership for the Public Good
Patagonia
PEER: Progressive East End Reformers
People of Albany United for Safe Energy - PAUSE
People's Climate Movement-Capital Region
Peoples Climate Movement NY
Plant Pioneers
Plus1Vote
Power To The People
Progressive Schenectady
Propel
Protect Our Winters
PUSH Buffalo
Put A Price On It
Queens Climate Project
RAICA
RAICA (Rochester Area Interfaith Climate Action
RaisingVoicesUSA
Regiven Environmental Project
Renewable Energy Long Island
RenewableEnergyCoalition.org
RENewYorkCity
Rensselaer Environmental Coalition
Rescuing Leftover Cuisine
Resource Generation NYC Chapter
Retail, Wholesale & Department Store Union (RWDSU)
ReWild Long Island
Rise and Resist
Riverdale-Yonkers Society for Ethical Culture
Rivers & Mountains GreenFaith
Rochester People's Climate Coalition
ROCitizen
Roctricity
Sane Energy Project
Saratoga Progressive Action
Saratoga Unites
SASE World Inc.
Sierra Club
Sisters of St. Joseph Brentwood NY Office of Justice, Peace, Integriaty of Creation
Sisters of St. Joseph Brentwood NY Office of Justice, Peace, Integrity of Creation
Sixth Street Community Center
Social Justice Committee, UU Congregation at Shelter Rock
Solar One
Solidarity Committee of the Capital District
Solstice
Solutions Project
South Bronx Unite
South Shore Recovery Coalition/AAH
Start:Empowerment
Staten Island Urban Center
Stop NY Fracked Gas Pipeline
Suffolk Student Climate Action Committee
Sun Ra Solar
SunCommon
Sunrise
Sunrise Ithaca
Sunrise Movement Hamilton College
Sunrise Movement Long Island
SUNY Plattsburgh Environmental Action Committee
Sustainable Staten Island
Sustainable Tompkins
Sustainable Warwick
SustainUS
Swing Left Target 2020 (New York City)
Syracuse United Neighbors
Teamsters Joint Council 16
The Climate Journal Project
The Climate Reality Project New York City Metro Chapter
The Climate Reality Project Peconic Region Chapter
The Climate Reality Project Western New York Chapter
The Climate Reality Project: Capital Region, NY Chapter
The Elmont Cultural Center
The Lower Eastside Girls Club of NY
The Metropolitan New York Synod
The Morningsdie Hts/W. Harlem Sanitation Coalition, Inc.
The People's Organizing Collective- USAS Local 3
THE POINT CDC
The Re-Earth Initiative
The Rochester Youth Climate Leaders
The WASH Project, Inc,
Tishman Environment and Design Center
Tompkins County Climate Protection Initiative
Town of Kirkland Democratic Committee
Transition Town Port Washington
TREEage
Third Act Upstate New York
True Blue New York (TBNY)
TWU local 100
UAW Region 9
Ujima Company, Inc.
United Climate Action Network (UCAN)
United University Professions
UPROSE
Urban Chamber of Commerce
Urban League of Rochester
VOICE Buffalo
Vokashi, Inc.
Vote Solar
Wakanda Alliance Program
Waterfront Alliance
WE ACT for Environmental Justice
Western N.Y. Council on Occupational Safety & Health
Western New York Environmental Alliance
Western New York Youth Climate Council
Western NY Council on Occupational Safety & Health