Making Environmental Justice a Priority in State Climate Plans
Andrea Sears, Producer
Friday, September 2, 2016
NEW YORK - A coalition of environmental groups, labor unions and community organizations wants Governor Andrew Cuomo to make environmental justice a priority in plans to combat climate change. A draft plan for compliance with the EPA's Clean Power Plan is due later this month.
Mark Kresowik, regional deputy director for the Sierra Club, said doubling pollution reductions under the highly-successful Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) to five-percent a year must be part of that plan.
"Achieving that level of pollution reduction will keep New York on track to hit the state's climate goals, and help slash pollution in those communities that have long suffered from neighboring power plants," he said.
The coalition, called New York Renews, sent the governor a list of recommendations to include strong action on environmental justice in the Clean Power Plan.
Annel Hernandez, resiliency planner at the New York City Environmental Justice Alliance, pointed out that the auction of emission allowances under RGGI has generated hundreds of millions of dollars for investment in clean energy and pollution-reduction plans in New York.
"We need to direct at least 40 percent of any revenue coming from RGGI toward renewable energy projects, energy efficiency projects, directly into these disadvantaged communities," she said.
The coalition wants the state to perform an equity analysis of climate investments that addresses the specific needs of disadvantaged areas.
Clarke Gocker, director of policy and strategy with PUSH Buffalo, said targeting investments to help improve substandard housing in poor neighborhoods would improve living conditions, create jobs and cut pollution.
"Substandard housing conditions often drive up energy and healthcare costs for vulnerable households, and prevent these households from accessing the kinds of improvements that can lower energy bills and improve health outcomes," he explained.
New York is currently negotiating with the eight other RGGI states over changes to the agreement, including a proposal to lower the cap on carbon emissions by five-percent each year.
get more stories like this via email
Health and Wellness
Missouri residents are worried about future access to birth control. The latest survey from The Right Time, an initiative based in Missouri…
Social Issues
Wisconsin children from low-income families are now on track to get nutritious foods over the summer. Federal officials have approved the Badger …
Social Issues
Almost 2,900 people are unsheltered on any given night in the Beehive State. Gov. Spencer Cox is celebrating signing nine bills he says are geared …
Environment
New York's Legislature is considering a bill to get clean-energy projects connected to the grid faster. It's called the RAPID Act, for "Renewable …
Social Issues
Earlier this month, a new Arizona Public Service rate hike went into effect and one senior advocacy group said those on a fixed income may struggle …
Social Issues
Michigan recently implemented a significant juvenile justice reform package following recommendations from a task force made up of prosecutors…