New York state lawmakers are aiming to adopt one of the most aggressive policies worldwide for confronting climate change by passing the Climate and Community Protection Act.
The legislation would require the state to transition away from fossil fuels by 2050 and would set an example for other states to follow at a time when the federal government is actively working against efforts to combat climate change.
Supporters of the CCPA say it is just the first step in what would be ongoing efforts to accelerate the development and adoption of clean energy sources like solar and wind power.
City & State caught up with three key lawmakers to discuss the bill, the state’s energy policies and how pragmatism remains a top concern in crafting strategies to meet perhaps the biggest challenge facing the Earth. The interviews have been edited for length and clarity.
Steve Englebright
Chairman, Assembly Environmental Conservation Committee
What’s the status of the Climate and Community Protection Act, which you’re carrying in the Assembly?
Both the Senate and the Assembly leadership were strongly of the opinion that this should be something that we would make a priority, but that it was so important to get it right that it should not be shoehorned into the complexities of the budget itself. This is arguably the most important issue on earth. Literally.
The governor is talking about a climate action council that would develop state climate strategy. What do you think?
The representation should be broad and the stakeholders should include representatives from those communities that have historically been exploited by historic trends that have caused environmental degradation and harm in the form of asthma and shortened life spans within those communities. This is something that we really would like to see in a form much closer to what our Assembly bill has proposed. The guidance system for accomplishing carbon reduction going forward needs those voices at the table.
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