Albany, NY – Reports today indicate that the state legislature may be moving closer to a deal with Governor Hochul to roll back key provisions of New York’s benchmark climate law, the CLPCA. Provisions being considered for rollback include a critical, science-based formula for accounting for greenhouse gas emissions, as well as slowing timelines for implementing provisions of the existing law. 

In response, Food & Water Watch’s New York state director, Laura Shindell, issued the following statement: 

“Let’s be clear: Any deal that weakens the science-based standard by which we account for poisoning climate emissions is unacceptable. Any deal that slows the timelines or moves the goalposts when it comes to meeting the requirements of our existing climate law is unacceptable. And any legislator that votes to support such a betrayal of New York’s vital climate action will be held accountable by us, our tens of thousands of members and our similarly attentive allies in the months and years ahead.”

“Governor Hochul manufactured her own political crisis by ignoring her statutory obligations to our existing climate law. The legislature should not bail her out of her self-created legal problems. We and our members expect our legislators to stand up and fight for the law, and fight for a livable climate future for us and future generations.”