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Last month, Governor Cuomo and the Department of Public Service (DPS) moved to implement landmark new energy efficiency and energy storage targets that will help decrease greenhouse gas emissions.

Nearly 250 cities, towns and villages in New York are changing the way they operate to fight climate change. These municipalities are part of the state’s nine-year-old Climate Smart Communities (CSC) program, which capitalizes on the fact local governments have direct control or major influence on most of the state’s greenhouse gas emissions.

The ongoing federal government shutdown has brought several consequences to our environment and public health. Many local projects, such as air quality monitoring and Superfund site cleanups including the Gowanus Canal in New York City, are suspended.

Acting Interior Secretary David Bernhardt may continue former Secretary Zinke’s anti-environmental legacy of rolling back federal lands protections and stopping progress on climate change.

Late last month, the Trump Administration approved a plan to allow oil companies to conduct seismic testing along the Eastern Atlantic, seen as the first step toward the administration leasing federal waters for oil drilling. Oil and gas exploration not only severely disrupts marine wildlife, but it would also worsen the fight against climate change.

After advocacy by NYLCV and other environmental groups, the Clean Water Infrastructure Act passed last year and brought a $2.5 billion investment to improve drinking water infrastructure and water quality protection across the State. Last month, Governor Cuomo announced specific investments funded by the CWIA for different regions.

At a City Council Environmental Protection Committee hearing last week, NYLCV testified in support of groundbreaking legislation that would make New York City the first in the world to set carbon emissions standards for buildings, which generate 70% of greenhouse gases in the City.

The City Council’s Committee on Environmental Protection held a hearing last week on legislation that would set greenhouse gas emissions for buildings over 25,000 square feet.