For Immediate Release
January 16th, 2020
Media Contact:
Dan Morris. 917.952.8920.
Our Future is at Stake: Top Climate Policy Leader Says Mayor de Blasio Must Prioritize Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency in NYC Budget
New York, NY – Without larger annual budgetary investments in renewable energy and energy efficiency, New York City will not adequately address climate change.
That’s the key point Maritza Silva-Farrell, a top climate policy leader and executive director of ALIGN, made in reaction to Mayor de Blasio’s preliminary budget address today.
Her full statement responding to de Blasio is below.
“Climate change is the biggest challenge of our time. Here in New York City, we need larger annual budgetary investments to tackle climate change. Yes, money matters: without bigger city investments in renewable energy and energy efficiency, climate change will defeat us. We cannot let that happen,” said Silva-Farrell of ALIGN, an influential advocacy organization that organized and continues to lead the Climate Works for All coalition.
“To tackle climate change more aggressively, Mayor de Blasio and the New York City Council must make two key budgetary investments starting this year: $1 billion annually to fund energy efficiency retrofits in affordable and public housing units, and $3 billion for a green bonds program to fund local renewable energy projects. These investments will help our city achieve the goal of 80% emissions reduction by 2050, especially in our buildings, the largest source of climate pollution, while creating thousands of good jobs for residents,” said Silva-Farrell of ALIGN.
In 2019, Silva-Farrell and Climate Works for All were instrumental in the passage of Local Law 97, also known as the dirty buildings law, which requires significant energy efficiency upgrades and improvements to New York City’s buildings. The law was crafted and passed in response to a 2017 report from ALIGN that highlighted the role of New York City’s dirty buildings – especially those owned by Donald Trump and Jared Kushner– in driving climate pollution and emissions.
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