For Immediate Release – January 29th, 2021
Contact: Patrick Nevada, patrick@alignny.org, 646.866.9065
Top Climate and Labor Advocates Oppose Governor Cuomo’s Budget Proposal that Undermines NYC’s Landmark Building Emissions Law
NEW YORK – A coalition of labor, climate, community, and faith organizations sent a letter to Governor Cuomo, opposing a budget proposal that includes provisions that would allow building owners to evade doing necessary retrofits needed to comply with New York City’s Local Law 97, weakening the ability for the city to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and create green jobs.
The letter denounces a loophole backed by the Real Estate Board of New York that allows building owners to purchase offsets from renewable energy sources outside of the city instead of investing in efficiency improvements. “Building owners could easily use this tool to avoid the leadership and actual work needed to reduce emissions,” the letter states.
“We cannot allow real-estate backed loopholes to undermine a city law set to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and create green jobs. This law has made New York City a leader in climate solutions,” said Maritza Silva-Farrell, Executive Director of ALIGN, the organization coordinating the Climate Works for All Coalition. “During an unemployment crisis and climate catastrophe, the city and state must move toward aggressive climate action that can create jobs and reduce emissions, not shy away from it.”
The Climate Works for All coalition was instrumental in developing and passing Local Law 97. Members of the coalition have been historically vocal against carbon offsets solutions for fighting climate change, arguing that they are not effective in reducing carbon emissions and further perpetuates the environmental burden on environmental justice communities.
“Amid a necessary COVID-19 economic recovery and a current unemployment rate of 11.8% in the City, now more than ever, we need government leadership to support activities that can solve the multiple crises we are experiencing,” the letter states.
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