Attend an upcoming public hearing in Buffalo or Syracuse on NY’s plan to fight climate change and advance renewable energy
New York State has the most aggressive climate law in the nation, requiring 70% renewable energy by 2030, carbon-free electricity by 2040, and net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. The state’s Climate Action Council has developed a draft scoping plan to implement these ambitious and critical goals. Now the Climate Action Council wants to hear from you on their plan!
Public hearings are coming up in Syracuse and Buffalo. You can speak at the hearing or just attend to show your support for a strong plan to implement the climate law (pre-register to speak here).
When: Tuesday, April 26, at 4:00pm
Where: SUNY ESF, Gateway Center, Syracuse
When: Wednesday, April 27, at 3:30pm
Where: Buffalo & Erie County Public Library in the City of Buffalo
For the full list of public hearings, including two hearings being held virtually, click here.
Planning to speak at the hearing? Here are some talking points you can use (you will only have two minutes to speak):
I support an aggressive plan to meet NY’s goals of 70% renewable energy by 2030, a carbon free electric grid by 2040, and net zero GHG emissions by 2050. The state should set annual goals and benchmarks to ensure we are staying on track to meet these important long-term goals.
Set an aggressive schedule for the phase out and closure of fossil fuel plants as quickly as possible.
We must address the emissions from the solid waste sector by holding corporate manufacturers responsible for managing their products throughout their entire life cycle through a policy known as Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR). New York should adopt strong EPR policies for product packaging, carpets, mattresses, household appliances, all batteries, and other hard-to-recycle products. The state should also develop a comprehensive plan to ban harmful and unnecessary single-use plastic products.
To meet renewable energy goals, we need offshore wind. We must not only meet the state’s goal of 9000MW of offshore wind by 2035, we must plan to significantly expand on this goal in order to meet our 2040 clean energy goal. Great Lakes wind, which is responsibly-sited and protects the health of the lakes, should be considered as part of these goals.
Support justice and equity in all aspects of the plan, and work to achieve maximum investments in environmental justice communities that have and continue to be disproportionately impacted by climate change and pollution.
We’ll also provide template comments for you to submit electronically before the close of the comment period in June—stay tuned!
Thank you for taking action! Together we can make a difference.
Sincerely,
Your friends at CCE