The expansion of this successful program will divert some of the estimated 4 million tons of excess food produced in New York State annually, a number that accounts for approximately 17% of the state’s municipal solid waste stream. Instead of going to landfills, where it decomposes and releases methane, a potent greenhouse gas, it will be donated to New Yorkers who lack access to sufficient food.

The New York League of Conservation Voters applauds Gov. Kathy Hochul for reinstating congestion pricing. Following her announcement, the board of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), the state agency that will run the congestion pricing program, approved the revised plan by a 12-1 vote, and a few days later, the Federal Highway Administration and city and state transportation departments signed off so that it can begin in early January.

In 2024, despite setbacks in the November election, the fight for a cleaner, healthier future gained significant momentum across the

The New York City Council has adopted a modified version of the City of Yes for Housing Opportunity proposal, a critical step toward addressing the city’s housing crisis while incorporating sustainability and infrastructure improvements. The revised plan includes significant zoning reforms, new affordability measures, and a $5 billion investment in housing and infrastructure—a victory for advocates of balanced and equitable development. New York City is facing its worst housing shortage in decades. The City of Yes aims to address this crisis by updating outdated zoning laws to allow more housing across neighborhoods, projecting the creation of 80,000 new homes over 15 years. 

Under New York state’s 2019 Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (Climate Act), the state is obligated by law to drastically reduce its greenhouse gas emissions as it strives to achieve 70 percent renewable energy by 2030, with several intermittent goals along the way.

By Peter Aronson Climate change is increasingly causing extreme weather around the globe, including more hurricanes and other storms, record-breaking

New York State is a major agriculture producer, and the New York League of Conservation Voters wants to make sure these resources and land are preserved, enhanced and used as appropriately and efficiently as possible in our state’s ongoing effort to maintain our farms, and along the way, reduce our carbon footprint. We reduce our carbon footprint by eating food grown and processed locally, because the transportation of food over long distances is a significant producer of greenhouse gasses. Plus, farmland is the least carbon-intensive land use and can even capture and sequester atmospheric carbon pollution. New York’s agriculture sector is a vital state resource that must be preserved and protected by our state and its leaders. We need strong programs and key legislation that will encourage farming and ensure that those providing our local food supply are in a sound position to succeed. Here is what the League is advocating for so New York State agriculture can grow and prosper in the future: