Albany, NY — Tonight, the New York State Legislative session will end without having made progress on climate change and state commitments under the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA). The CLCPA requires New York to achieve a carbon free electricity grid by 2040 — a mandate growing farther out of reach as legislative sessions expire without establishing the bold policies necessary to meet the emissions target.

Legislative inaction occurred despite bold climate legislation put forward including A6761A/S5939A (the Clean Futures Act), A1466A/S6453 (the New York State Build Public Renewables Act), and A07389/S6486B (on cryptocurrency mining), none of which passed to Governor Cuomo’s desk for his signature.

In response, Food & Water Action Northeast Region Director Alex Beauchamp issued the following statement:

“The Legislature’s failure to act on climate this session is a crime against our future. With a supermajority in both the Senate and Assembly, Democrats failed to take action on the most dangerous threat facing humanity. Given the opportunity, our legislators failed to ban fossil fuel power plants, curb cryptocurrency mining, and build public renewables. The window is closing on the opportunity for policies to move New York off fossil fuels and help prevent climate catastrophe. The only good news for New Yorkers is that legislative primaries are only a year away.”