Climate Works for All
A City-wide coalition of labor and community fighting to decarbonize NYC’s buildings, create green jobs and clean air, and lower utility bills
ABOUT
Climate Works for All is a coalition of labor, community, faith, environmental justice, and climate organizations fighting climate change and inequality in NYC by demanding a Just Transition for workers and Environmental Justice communities. Our campaigns move us towards an equitable economy, a resilient, livable, and healthy climate, and must prioritize justice for low income Black and Brown communities across New York City. The coalition’s mission is to decarbonize NYC’s building sector while centering workers and environmental justice communities to improve people’s quality of life, health, our environment, and climate.
SUCCESSES
Slashing NYC’s largest source of emissions: In 2019, New York City enacted Local Law 97, also known as the Dirty Building’s law, to drive dirty emissions from buildings, which are responsible for more than two-thirds of NYC’s greenhouse gas emissions. The law places carbon emission limits on most buildings larger than 25,000 square feet—covering nearly 50,000 properties across NYC.
NYC’s Public Solar Law, Local Law 99 – Local Law 99, championed by Councilmember Sandy Nurse, will boost solar power installation in NYC’s public buildings. With 70% of NYC’s emissions coming from buildings, this law will be key in moving New Yorkers toward a healthy, sustainable economy.
CAMPAIGNS
Strengthen NYC’s Dirty Buildings Law with Intro 1180. NYC’s Dirty Buildings law has the potential to slash pollution, lower utility bills, and create green jobs by cutting emissions from NYC’s buildings. However, Mayor Adams offered the real estate industry a potential loophole, allowing them to purchase “Renewable Energy Credits” or RECs in place of about 50% of the pollution that they’d otherwise have to clean up. This is essentially a way for corporations to avoid compliance, increase pollution, and threaten job creation. Intro 1180 would close that loophole and ensure that we implement the strongest emissions reduction law possible.
Green, Healthy Schools. NYC 3K-12 students, teachers, parents, and school staff deserve safe and healthy learning and work environments, no matter their zip code. As the country faces unprecedented wildfires, droughts, and flooding, we’re making sure New York City is doing our part to cut dirty emissions in our buildings, and public schools are the best place to start. Our Climate Works for All coalition is calling on Mayor Adams to fund Green, Healthy Schools and make NYC’s school district emissions-free by 2040, so all students can breathe clean air and attend school safely.
COALITION PARTNERS
ALIGN, 350 BK, 350 NYC, Central Labor Council (CLC), Climate Families NYC, Climate Reality NYC, District Council 37, Climate and Resilience Education Taskforce (a project of National Wildlife Federation), DC-9 Painters, El Puente, Jewish Climate Action Network – NY, Kinetic Communities, Local 3 IBEW, New York Civil Liberties Union, New York Lawyers for the Public Interest (NYLPI), New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA), We Stay/Nos Quedamos, People’s Climate Movement – NY, PSC-CUNY, TREEage, Urban Homesteading Assistance Board (UHAB), WE ACT for Environmental Justice.
HOW CAN I GET INVOLVED?For more information about this coalition, contact Faiza Azam at faiza@alignny.org, and visit www.nyclimateworks.org