FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 24, 2026
MEMORANDUM OF OPPOSITION TO GOVERNOR HOCHUL’S REPORTED PROPOSALS TO WEAKEN NEW YORK’S LANDMARK CLIMATE LAW
As organizations representing hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers concerned about the environment, energy affordability, justice, and public health, as well as strong believers in a practical, science-based approach to policymaking, we write to urge your opposition to Governor Hochul’s proposals presented to conferences this week.
Both options presented amount to a sweeping rollback of New York’s landmark Climate Law. Either proposal will undermine the law’s core aims – as enacted by the Legislature – of addressing challenges costing New Yorkers today: combating climate change, lowering energy costs, and protecting communities from pollution.
As today’s sky-high fossil fuel prices illustrate, proactive actions to reduce the State’s dependence on gas and oil will save New Yorkers money. As the Governor has noted, the Climate Law is not responsible for rising utility bills and its implementation can help bring down energy costs by scaling up price-stable clean energy.
We urge your unwavering opposition to the Governor’s proposals as reported.
The legislature must rally around a counter-proposal that preserves the core tenets of the CLCPA, requires regulations by 2027 with mandatory targets in the next decade, rejects changes to GHG accounting method without policies that directly reduce emissions, and includes interim funding until regulations are in place as well as meaningful protections for and investment in disadvantaged communities.
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