Volume 15, Issue 9

September was an exciting month for NYC-EJA as we released our long awaited 2024 NYC Climate Justice Agenda, had some legislative wins, onboarded a new team member and presented our work in various Climate Week spaces. Below are the main highlights of the past month.

On the eve of NYC Climate Week, acknowledging the 10th anniversary of the People’s Climate March, we released our 2024 NYC Climate Justice Agenda, which serves as a critical research and advocacy platform addressing the need for comprehensive, community-based approaches to climate action across New York City. The report also critiques the lackluster implementation of various climate laws and mandates by the Adams and Hochul Administrations

NYC-EJA's Executive Director Eddie Bautista appeared on NY1’s The Rush Hour report to discuss our 2024 NYC Climate Justice Agenda, which examines the poor implementation of NYC and NYS climate goals by Mayor Adams and Governor Hochul, while outlining a frontline policy road map to climate justice.

Read Politico's coverage of the Agenda here.

NYC-EJA's Deputy Director Eunice Ko spoke with New York NOW during Climate Week on a piece focusing on how New York State is not on track to meet its climate and environmental mandates set forth by the 2019 Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act. NYC-EJA shared its concerns with the lack of climate leadership and urgency and the backpedaling we're seeing from the Hochul administration and the openness to false climate solutions like low-carbon fuel standards. 

On Tuesday, September 24th, Victoria Sanders and Alan Minor from the NYC-EJA team were joined by Dr. Peter Marcotullio and Dr. Chris Lim at CUNY’s Graduate Center to present findings from our CHAMP-EJ Report and University-Community Partnerships. A convening of NYC Climate Justice Hub partners and participants joined the audience, for an informative presentation and lively discussion on the report and our cross-organizational partnerships.

On September 26th, Climate Works for All rallied alongside Councilmember Sandy Nurse and Climate Jobs NY on the steps of City Hall, ahead of a City Council vote on Intro 353 - legislation that mandates NYC to install 100 megawatts of solar PV panels on City-owned properties by 2030 and increase this capacity to 150 megawatts by 2030, prioritizing the installation in disadvantaged communities. At the City Council stated meeting that followed the rally, the bill was voted on and passed, and now awaits the Mayor's signature.

We are excited to announce that Conor Bambrick has joined NYC-EJA as our new Senior Climate Advisor. With over 20 years of experience in environmental policy and advocacy, Conor brings a wealth of knowledge and leadership to our organization. His extensive background includes more than a decade with Environmental Advocates NY, where he served as both Director of Climate Policy and Director of Policy, playing a pivotal role in advancing climate legislation across New York State.

Conor’s career in public policy began as a Legislative Associate with NYPIRG, followed by an 8-year tenure in the New York State Assembly as Legislative Director, where he worked on numerous legislative initiatives while directing the Assembly Committee on Energy. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Government from the University at Albany. Conor is based in Albany.

Brooklyn Marine Terminal is a City-managed warehouse, shipping and manufacturing complex along the Columbia Street and Red Hook waterfronts in Brooklyn that is being studied for modernization as part of a public process led by a newly created taskforce of local stakeholders, including NYC-EJA. This past week was the first meeting of the Brooklyn Marine Terminal Taskforce, which will host a series of wider meetings and smaller advisory groups on issues such as resilience, transportation, and workforce development for the next few months. New York City’s Economic Development Corporation is also collecting feedback from community members through this survey.

Recently, Victoria Sanders was interviewed for the LIHEAP.org Blog Youtube Channel. The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) is a program that “helps keep families safe and healthy through initiatives that assist families with energy costs. LIHEAP provides federally funded assistance in managing costs associated with home energy bills, energy crises, and weatherization and energy-related minor home repairs LIHEAP can help you stay warm in the winter and cool in the summer through programs that reduce the risk of health and safety problems that arise from unsafe heating and cooling practices." Check out Victoria's interview about NYC-EJA’s heat and LIHEAP related work.

NYC-EJA through the NY Renews coalition submitted comments on NYSERDA’s Cap-Trade-and Invest Investment Framework in which revenue must be invested through the Climate Action Fund (CAF). The CAF contains three investment buckets, with the Climate Investment Account comprising 67% of the overall fund dedicated to the transitioning to a less carbon intensive economy. The key recommendations outlined in our comments emphasize the need for the State to prioritize a new program targeted to statewide building emission reductions, community directed grant fund, clean transportation and workforce development. Our comments also emphasize the need to prioritize projects and programs that decrease harmful co-pollutant emissions and to exceed the 40% minimum target of investments directed to designated Disadvantaged Communities.

Environmental Health News: The Army Corps and NYC criticized for ignoring local voices in climate resilience efforts (9/4/24)

NY1: Voters should decide future of congestion pricing, Hochul's lawyers say (9/10/24)

Columbia Magazine: America’s Great Climate Migration Has Begun. Here’s What You Need to Know. (9/10/24)

StreetsBlog NYC: Hochul To Congestion Pricing Supporters: You Can’t Sue Me For Something I Haven’t ‘Done’ (9/10/24)

New York Law Journal: New York Falling Behind in Implementing Bold Climate Law (9/11/24)

News12 Bronx: New legislation could make inhalers free for people with asthma (9/13/24)

StreetsBlog NYC: Swiss Miss: MTA Claims Neutrality in Pro-Congestion Pricing Lawsuits (9/13/24)

NRDC: Coalition Urges Renewable Rikers Compliance in NY Air Pollution Permit (9/23/24)

City Limits: Opinion: Climate Justice Could Live at CUNY (9/23/24)

NYC Comptroller: NYC Comptroller Lander’s New Report Reveals City’s Outdoor Workers Face Increased Vulnerability and Need for Protections from Heat Amid Climate Change (9/25/24)

The City: Lawsuits to Jump-Start Congestion Pricing Begin Court Arguments Friday (9/26/24)

Gothamist: Judge calls Manhattan traffic 'terrible,' allows congestion pricing lawsuits to proceed (9/27/24)

NBC New York: NY judge denies governor's bid to toss suit challenging congestion pricing ‘pause' (9/27/24)

Streetsblog NYC: DENIED: Hochul Fails in Bid to Toss Pro-Congestion Pricing Suits Out of Court (9/27/24)

The New York Times: Legal Fight to Revive Congestion Pricing Can Proceed, Judge Rules (9/27/24)

Courthouse News Service: NY judge denies Governor Hochul’s bid to dismiss lawsuits challenging freeze on congestion pricing (9/27/24)

Earthjustice: New York Supreme Court Denies Motion to Dismiss by Gov. Hochul on the Congestion Pricing Block Lawsuit (9/27/24)

AMNY: Congestion pricing: Judge’s ruling lets lawsuits challenging Hochul’s pause move forward (9/29/24)

Rockland News: NYC Judge Allows Congestion Pricing Pause Lawsuits to Proceed (9/30/24)

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