City Bar Urges Governor Cuomo to Sign Legislation Establishing a Permanent Environmental Justice Advisory Committee

The New York City Bar Association calls on Governor Cuomo to sign A1564/S2385, a bill that passed the State Legislature in June 2019 and that would establish a permanent environmental justice advisory committee to advise on State environmental law and policy-making. The Legislature also passed the Climate Leadership & Community Protection Act (the “CLCPA”) in June 2019, a piece of landmark legislation setting targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in New York State by 85% by 2050 and to achieve a 100% clean energy supply by 2040. This is the nation-leading legislatively mandated climate target, and Governor Cuomo signed it into law in July. The CLCPA, by its terms, goes into effect only upon the effectiveness of A1564/S2385. Therefore, the City Bar calls on Governor Cuomo to sign A1564/S2385 not only for its codification of environmental justice principles into environmental lawmaking, but also because New York State will forfeit the CLCPA, and its climate leadership, if A1564/S2385 is not signed and implemented.