Representing the Transform Don’t Trash NYC campaign at the Accountability Forum: Allan Henry of Teamsters Local no. 813, and Patty Lopez Ramos and Teg Sethi of Cleanup North Brooklyn
At the Climate, Jobs and Justice Accountability Forum on May 16, ALIGN’s Climate Works for All Coalition convened a packed house of over 600 people. The audience heard workers and community members describe their experiences. Participants posed questions to Public Advocate Letitia James and Comptroller Scott Stringer on ways that NYC can improve energy efficiency in “Dirty Buildings” and clean up its commercial waste system.
In a significant political win, NYC’s Public Advocate Letitia James and Comptroller Scott Stringer publicly announced their support for the Department of Sanitation’s commercial waste zone policy. The policy, announced by the de Blasio administration in 2016 is a key goal of the Transform Don’t Trash campaign. The DSNY is now embarking on a stakeholder process for its implementation.
Maritza Silva-Farrell wrote an op-ed before the Accountability Forum emphasizing that NYC has the potential to tackle climate change and the city’s glaring inequality at the same time, by investing in environmental justice communities and creating quality jobs in the green economy.
ALIGN and partners will keep up the momentum from the Forum. Next steps include a “Grassroots Leaders Convening on Climate” on July 15.