Today, in a speech at the Vatican, Governor Hochul announced an investment of nearly $300 million taxpayers dollars for climate resiliency. An analysis by NYPIRG found that New York State taxpayers paid $2.2 billion in climate costs in 2023 alone.

In response, Food & Water Watch Senior NY Organizer Eric Weltman issued the following statement:

“The climate crisis is here and it is dangerous and costly. Governor Hochul’s paltry $300 million sum for climate resiliency is barely a drop in the bucket of what our communities will need to repair broken infrastructure, safeguard our water systems, and protect our neighborhoods from weather catastrophes and deadly heat. As the price of adapting to climate chaos rises into the billions, New Yorkers should not be forced to foot this bill ourselves.

“If Governor Hochul is serious about climate leadership, she needs to get serious about passing bills in Albany, not cavorting around Europe. Governor Hochul must champion the popular Climate Change Superfund Act now to make fossil fuel polluters pay $3 billion annually to adapt to surviving the climate crisis they created.”