New York City Council’s New Report Lays Out Bold Climate Actions
NEW YORK, N.Y. – New York City Council Speaker Corey Johnson released today a comprehensive sustainability report that lays out strong and sensible strategies to help New York City fight climate change and build a livable city for all, especially communities on the front lines.
A statement follows from Eric A. Goldstein, Senior Attorney and New York City Environment Director at the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC):
“Climate change is the greatest environmental challenge of our time, and our cities must implement solutions that address this crisis, build resiliency and strengthen our communities. Attacking this problem more comprehensively will provide vital benefits to our economy, health and quality of life.
“Speaker Johnson’s forward-looking and exciting sustainability report outlines numerous strategies that would help the city achieve its ambitious climate goals, including through facilitating increased energy efficiency and electrification of our buildings so that we can reduce fossil fuel consumption, create more jobs, and ensure that more New Yorkers can get the benefits of living in energy-conserving buildings.
“The report also identifies exciting opportunities to scale up renewable energy and clean transportation in the Big Apple, such as by transforming Rikers Island into a renewable energy hub, focusing on opportunities within affordable housing, and expanding electric vehicle infrastructure.
“Among other highlights that NRDC believes hold great potential are:
- Requiring the City to develop a comprehensive, five-borough resiliency plan, to be developed with “intense community engage[ment];”
- Adding more green infrastructure and greenspaces, especially in Southeast Queens and other environmental justice communities that already feel the negative effects of climate change; and
- Expanding access to residential organics pick-up to every New Yorker, which would reduce waste sent to landfill and curb climate-changing methane emissions.
“These actions build upon New York City’s climate leadership and can serve as an example for other cities that want to do more to fight climate change.”
###
The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) is an international nonprofit environmental organization with more than 3 million members and online activists. Since 1970, our lawyers, scientists, and other environmental specialists have worked to protect the world's natural resources, public health, and the environment. NRDC has offices in New York City, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Bozeman, MT, and Beijing. Visit us at www.nrdc.org and follow us on Twitter @NRDC.