February 6, 2025 — At a packed forum with over 500 energized attendees, leading Democratic mayoral candidates positioned themselves to gain votes and grassroots support by pledging to fight climate change, create good jobs, and reduce energy bills for New Yorkers.  

Livestream recording can be viewed here.

Thursday’s event, co-sponsored by dozens of the city’s top climate, environmental, and community groups, featured candidates Brad Lander, Zohran Mamdani, Zellnor Myrie, Jessica Ramos, and Scott Stringer. The forum demonstrated that fighting climate change is a resonant issue in the mayoral race, and that candidates are positioning to improve on Mayor Adams’ dismal record.

The event’s moderators pressed the mayoral hopefuls on key topics, including implementing NYC’s “Green New Deal” law; Local Law 97; cutting pollution from cars and trucks; and leveraging the city’s massive pension funds for climate action. 

Candidates also pledged to fight fossil fuel infrastructure such as the Iroquois pipeline expansion and Greenpoint LNG facility; electrify schools and move to electric school buses; and improve composting infrastructure.

Candidates largely agreed with one another on the issues, with some nuance and variation, except on using the city pension funds buying power to clean up Wall Street’s large money managers. In that case, four of the five candidates answered the two-part question affirmatively, while one candidate, Comptroller Lander, only agreed to the second part of the question. Much of the crowd was vocally unhappy with that partial response. Notwithstanding that one question, the forum was a forceful show of support for climate, jobs and justice by all five candidates.

Given the disturbing far-right policies of the Trump administration, all the candidates also pledged to protect the rights of undocumented New Yorkers and take on mass incarceration, including by implementing the Renewable Rikers plan, closing Rikers by 2027 (a new position for some candidates), and by stopping “Cop City” Queens. Candidates also detailed their stances on protecting undocumented immigrants from ICE and criticized Mayor Adams’ dangerous and disturbing change in procedure for migrant shelters, which was reported earlier in the day  

Mayor Adams declined to attend the forum. His lack of commitment to climate and deference to corporate interests — such as the real estate lobby and New York’s top polluters — were roundly criticized by candidates. The failures of the Hochul and Cuomo administrations were also frequently noted by advocates and candidates, who jostled to position themselves as the most effective leader to implement ambitious climate policies.

News of an impending introduction of legislation to close the REC loophole in Local Law 97 that Eric Adams created by regulation broke during the event via questioning. All candidates pledged to support it and called on the Council and Speaker Adams to pass this soon-to-be-introduced bill, which will be prime sponsored by Councilmembers De La Rosa and Restler.

“New Yorkers are hungry for climate action. Mayor Adams has done more to distract and delay than embrace real solutions to the climate crisis. New York needs a mayor committed to moving  the city off fossil fuels,” said Eric Weltman, Senior Organizer at Food & Water Watch, a host of the forum. “For too long, New York’s elected leaders have let voters down — this year must be different. New York’s climate movement is ready to elect a true champion to City Hall.”

“Like many NYCC members, I’ve already been touched by the climate crisis. I lost everything I owned during Sandy. Meanwhile, MAGA Mayor Eric Adams raises our rents and bills while allowing his billionaire buddies to increase air pollution. It’s not even clear if he will follow city laws and protect undocumented New Yorkers from Trump and ICE. Our next Mayor needs to be someone of courage and conviction, and this forum will help NYers pick such a person,” said Michael Johnson, a member of New York Communities for Change. 

“Retiring the state’s largest fracked gas facility in North Brooklyn—owned by UK-based corporation National Grid—is imperative,” said Kim Fraczek, Director of Sane Energy Project. “As federal and state governments enable corporate utility greed and ignore soaring bills, they neglect public health and climate justice. Mayoral candidates must show leadership by committing — as part of their platform — to shut down this toxic site, ease financial burdens, and prioritize people over profit.

“Our future is under threat from all sides—from a fascist fossil-fueled corporate takeover federally to inaction and indifference from our current mayoral administration in New York City and with Governor Hochul and former-Governor Cuomo in Albany. It’s time for a change of leadership,” said Keanu Arpels-Josiah, Core Organizer with Fridays For Future NYC. “It’s time for us to unite and chart a different future for our city and communities. This must mean strong enforcement of our city climate laws, commitment to investments guided by our values of justice and the need for action, and it must mean an end to new fossil fuel expansion and toxic infrastructure in our communities.”

“Because we won’t get any positive climate action from DC, we need to double down on what we can do here, at home in NYC”, said Dorian Fulvio, Steering Committee member at 350NYC.  “The upcoming election is so important.  This Forum was an opportunity for each of these candidates to show us that they could be the climate leader we need.  Perhaps we can finally get a Mayor who actually makes the right choices and knows how to implement them. ”

“New York City is the economic driver not only of the state but of our entire region,” said Pat Almonrode, Co-facilitator of Third Act NYC. “The climate policies advocated by our next mayor will be hugely consequential, and this forum helped voters understand how each of the candidates envisions their role. We’ll be paying close attention as the candidates develop their positions further in the course of the campaign.”

“As the Trump regime rolls back critical climate policies and exalts the fossil fuel industry, we need a NYC mayor who will lead the transition to a clean energy future with all-electric buildings and transportation in America’s largest city,”said Betta Broad, campaign director of New Yorkers for Clean Power. “New Yorkers deserve to live and work in cleaner, better buildings that don’t pollute the air or contribute to the climate crisis.”

“Our next Mayor needs to prioritize community needs over corporate greed, and prioritize democratic decision making over technocratic scheming. The North Brooklyn Pipeline was built in secrecy under schools, health centers and in low income Black and Brown neighborhoods increasing our utility bills to pay for poison,” said GiGi Nieson from No North Brooklyn Pipeline Alliance.  “National Grid continues their racist mission to build up their fracked gas facility in Greenpoint by twisting the facts about their operations and its contribution to the climate crisis. Mayoral candidates must be willing to stand up to these monopolies, shut down the Greenpoint LNG facility, and commit resources to environmental justice communities. We refuse to pay for poison.”

“Trump’s disturbing embrace of fossil fuels and rollbacks in clean energy make this Mayoral election even more pivotal. This forum made it clear that New Yorkers are looking for a leader that prioritizes clean air, lowering utility costs, and climate resilience. Any progressive climate agenda must include investments in school electrification and clean energy upgrades so that students and staff have safe and healthy spaces to learn and work,” said Faiza Azam, Labor and Climate Organizer at ALIGN.” 

“It’s unacceptable that a global city like New York is still lagging on climate action. New Yorkers are ready for a bold transformation, and we refuse to wait. As federal leaders drag their feet, we must hold our local government accountable to the people—not fossil fuel elites.” Said Angel Alfaro, member of Sunrise NYC “As New York City residents, it’s our responsibility to stay informed and demand real action from our leaders. We must hold our mayoral candidates accountable for their climate commitments and push them to prioritize people over polluters. Events like last night’s mayoral forum are just one small step in this fight—our work is far from over.”

“It’s more crucial than ever that New York City’s Mayor can stand up against attacks to our environment and civil rights,” said Cecilia Ellis, Environmental Protection Organizer at NYPIRG. “NYC’s Mayor needs to be a strong climate leader who’s committed to the issues highlighted at this forum: clean air, livable neighborhoods, and the green economy of the future. We are listening closely and will hold our next Mayor accountable to their promises.”

The full list of event co-sponsors included: 350.org, 350NYC, ABI Collective, ALIGN NY, Citizen Action of New York, Climate Cafe, Climate Imaginarium, Climate Families NYC, Climate Reality Project NYC, Earthjustice, Food & Water Watch, Forest Hills Green Team, Fridays For Future NYC, New York Communities for Change, New York Public Interest Research Group (NYPIRG), New Yorkers for Clean Power, No North Brooklyn Pipeline, NYC DSA Ecosocialists, Rise & Resist, Sane Energy Project, Seeding Sovereignty, Sixth Street Community Center, Strong Economy for All Coalition, Sunrise NYC, Stop the Money Pipeline, Three Parks Independent Democrats, Third Act NYC, Tri-State Transportation Campaign and WE ACT for Environmental Justice, New York Society for Ethical Culture, Planet Over Profit, 350Brooklyn, TREEage, Rise and Resist, GreenFaith, One Up Action NYC