On June 13, NYC’s budget for the fiscal year of 2023 was voted on and passed 2 weeks ahead of schedule. There are a number of key takeaways from the budget regarding implications on the parks, transportation, sanitation, and building energy and emissions sectors – all of which are important to protecting the environment of NYC and the climate at large. While some of our priorities were not met, the results of this year’s budget are generally positive.

Every year NYLCV and NYLCVEF celebrate the environmental progress we’ve helped create in New York City and across the State with our annual gala. This year we surpassed our fundraising goal for a total of $1.2 million, which will be used to support the work we do over the next year. Over 700 people including legislators, environmental champions, and industry leaders joined us to celebrate.  

We’re all familiar with the yellow school buses of our childhood: the rattling sounds of metal, the squeals of our peers, leather seats that had seen better days. Their presence was an integral part to so many childhoods – so what’s being changed? Transportation is a leading contributor to greenhouse gas emissions in New York, accounting for a third of total overall emissions. Not only are these emissions harming the planet, but research has shown that they are also harming New York’s children, leading to higher levels of asthma. 

Of the thirteen bills, used to evaluate each Council Member in 2021, eight were passed. The Plastic Straw Ban, sponsored by Councilmember Rosenthal that passed in May 2021, reduces single-use plastics in our waste stream and helps save small businesses millions. Councilmember Constantinides sponsored two resiliency-focused bills to study wastewater treatment and renewable energy opportunities on Rikers Island—both of which passed in February of 2021. Councilmember Dromm’s diesel school bus phase out, a long term NYLCV priority that requires all city school buses be fully electric by 2035, finally passed in October 2021.

NYLCV/NYLCVEF is thrilled to announce the joint venture team of Ørsted and Eversource as our 2022 honorees. We are delighted to recognize the companies’ leadership in the renewable energy space and look forward to continuing to partner with them to make New York a greener state.

NYLCV has partnered with the Alliance for Clean Energy and several other environmental and industry stakeholders to push for the Governor to include legislation that allows for the direct sales of electric vehicles in her 30-day budget amendments.

The state legislative session has officially commenced! Our elected state representatives have the opportunity to get bold and progressive legislation passed that will protect generations of New Yorkers from adverse public health impacts and climate change. Our agenda specifically highlights environmental justice priorities that ensure equitable distribution of resources to communities that have been historically under-resourced and underserved while on the frontlines of climate related impact. We will be advocating for our top priorities, released earlier this month in our New York State Policy Agenda. Below are the main highlights. 

Late last week City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams announced her appointees for committee chairs. The most important chairs to keep an eye on for sustainability, and building a greener city, are those for environmental protection, transportation, parks, sanitation, and resiliency. Housing, health, and finance are also important chairs that can help facilitate environmental legislation.