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"We were fortunate this year to have a field of candidates with a strong track record on environmental action. In many races, we had to choose between contenders who all demonstrated serious commitments to climate; in those instances, we focused on candidates who have consistently delivered real results,” said Julie Tighe, President of the New York League of Conservation Voters. “In the mayoral race, Andrew Cuomo and Brad Lander rose above the rest. Governor Cuomo was instrumental in passing the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act and made generational investments in clean air, clean water, and parks. Comptroller Lander has been a leader on climate finance, driving fossil fuel divestment from pension funds, helping to pass the nation-leading plastic bag ban and Styrofoam restrictions, and championing environmental causes throughout his time on the City Council. We are proud to endorse this group of candidates and look forward to working with them to continue advancing environmental progress at the local level.”
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The New York League of Conservation Voters (NYLCV) applauds the New York City Council for recently passing four important environmental laws, three to reduce lead-paint poisoning in the city and a fourth to require that the city establish an on-line interactive map for the city’s bike routes.
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The release of the Mayor's Executive Budget for Fiscal Year 2024 has initiated the next phase of discussions between the Mayoral Administration and City Council toward finalizing the budget. As New York City faces many environmental and climate challenges, it is imperative that the City’s final FY24 budget prioritizes efforts to move us towards park equity, zero waste, reliable and affordable clean transportation, and more. Allocating sufficient funds towards these initiatives can help create a more sustainable, resilient, and equitable future for the City and its residents.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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As New York City begins strategizing for the new year, our new administration and Council Members have the opportunity to start making transformative investments in our environmental infrastructure and resiliency. NYLCV’s newest Policy Agenda lists what issues should be made top priority in the transportation, energy, public health, conservation, and environmental justice sectors, and highlights the legislative opportunities that will get us there. We hope to build upon our progress made last year and continue making bold policy decisions for the good of our community. Below are some of the main points made in this year’s Policy Agenda.
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