New York State has finalised an ambitious and comprehensive “Scoping Plan” that will see it implement the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA).
The Act is a groundbreaking climate and equity legislation enacted in 2019 with leadership and extensive engagement from a diverse set of stakeholders across the environmental justice, labour, clean energy, business, and environmental communities, as well as support from NRDC and many others,
The CLCPA establishes historic goals for the environment and renewable energy that call for the State’s economy as a whole to attain net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050.
Additionally, it emphasizes fairness in the battle against climate change by prioritizing GHG emissions and co-pollutant reductions in underserved communities and mandating that 35–40% of the rewards from climate investments go to these communities. The national Justice40 Initiative was inspired by and is based on this subsequent need.
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The Scoping Plan serves as a road map for the State’s ambitious climate change and renewable energy objectives. In addition to recommending state-wide economic initiatives for achieving climate mitigation, fairness, economic opportunity, and long-term job possibilities for New Yorkers, it identifies solutions to achieve the CLCPA directives by the economic sector.
Transportation, buildings, electricity, industry, agriculture, forestry, and garbage are among the sectors included by the plan.
The Scoping Plan was created over the course of more than two years, under the direction of New York’s Climate Action Council (CAC), with significant input from the Climate Justice Working Group, sector-specific recommendations from expert panels that included NRDC staff, and active public participation that included more than 35,000 public comments.
Despite fierce resistance from numerous gas utilities and the fossil fuel sector, who waged a multi-million dollar opposition campaign, the CAC adopted the Scoping Plan by a vote of 19-3. The plan was voted against only by the three CAC members who represented fossil interests (a gas utility, fossil generators, and others).
However, numerous studies have refuted their claims that the plan is unworkable and that economic growth and climate action are incompatible.
Story was adapted from NRDC.
