Climate Leadership Continues By New York State: Infrastructure Investments, Community Projects, Environmental Conservation, Emmissions Standards

Editor’s note: Last year, the Nature Conservancy held a symposium to discuss the pressing Climate related issues affecting New York State and City.  Back in 2023, the conservancy released a report on the tree canopy that exists in each of the five boroughs, as part of the Forest For All NYC plan to increase tree cover across the city.  See below for our interview with the Nature Conservancy’s policy expert on some of the wins in the latest approved budget for New York State: 

Ahead of Budget Deadline: Urgent Statement on NY Climate Law Changes

April 22, 2026 – The following statement from Natural Resources Defense Council, New York League of Conservation Voters, The Nature Conservancy, and Environmental Defense Fund was released in response to the proposed CLCPA changes presented to the State Legislature:

“New York has long been a national leader on climate. What we do here sets the standard for the rest of the country. Maintaining a strong, nation-leading climate law is how we protect that leadership and the New Yorkers counting on it.

New Yorkers are already reeling from utility bills and prices at the pump that keep climbing, pushed higher by spiking fossil fuel costs and volatile global markets. The climate law is one of the few tools we have to break that cycle by investing in clean energy, efficiency, and a modern grid that lowers costs over time and insulates families from the next price shock.

Reported proposals amount to a sweeping rollback, one that would delay the clean energy transition at the very moment New Yorkers need it most, leaving households more exposed to the fossil fuel volatility driving their bills up today.

There is a path forward to reasonable changes to the CLCPA that maintain New York’s leadership and commitment to scaling clean, affordable energy.  That starts with ensuring New York has a credible, near-term plan to implement the law, including cap-and-invest regulations in the next year. With regulations already two years overdue, waiting until 2029 or 2030 – a decade after the CLCPA’s passage – is simply too late.

New York must also maintain enforceable emissions reduction requirements rather than replace them with voluntary goals. Ten states have binding climate targets to reduce pollution. If these proposals move forward, New York would be the first to roll any target back in law.

A well-designed cap-and-invest program is essential to cutting emissions while driving investment in utility bill rebates and clean energy to lower costs for New Yorkers.

On Earth Day, we are reminded that protecting the environment and building a more affordable future go hand in hand. Investing in clean energy, efficiency, and modern infrastructure is how we lower energy bills and deliver clean air for every family in New York.”

Prior to our meeting but after the budget had passed, with many of the desired changes mentioned above, the following was released.  Most of our discussion centered on the bullet points below: 

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• $425 million for the Environmental Protection Fund, a continuation of the historic funding level reached in the last state budget, with reductions to cornerstone programs and authorizations to transfer funds from another environmental program to cover those changes;
• $525 million for the Clean Water Infrastructure Act, an increase of $25 million from last year;
• $90 million of New York Works Capital Funding for the Department of Environmental Conservation, continuation of the previous funding level, and $24 million in additional funding for local projects;
• $200 million of New York Works Capital Funding for State Parks, a continuation of the previous funding levels, and $140 million in additional funding for local projects;
• Significant changes to the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA) and the State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA).

Banner Image: Nature Conservancy animal contest. Image Credit – Nature Conservancy