Help Fight Climate Change

Climate Change Is the Greatest Environmental Threat Facing the Planet

The climate crisis threatens our planet and our health. United Nations Secretary General António Guterres has recently stated: “[It is] code red for humanity. The alarm bells are deafening, and the evidence is irrefutable: greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuel burning and deforestation are choking our planet and putting billions of people at immediate risk.”

Across the United States, communities are already dealing with temperature changes, coastal flooding, roaring wildfires, and threatened drinking water supplies due to climate change. The last 10 years have been the hottest on record — and from 2000 to 2021, the state experienced 51 billion-dollar weather disasters due to the climate crisis. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has found that these events have cost New York up to an estimated $100 billion.

With the impacts of climate devastation adding up, New York State enacted the trailblazing Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA), which establishes goals of net zero greenhouse gas emissions in New York by 2050, and 100% carbon-free electricity by 2040. Even sooner, by 2030, the law mandates interim targets of 40% reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and 70% of all New York’s electricity coming from renewable sources.

2030 is fast approaching. Any delay will mean more deaths, human suffering, and staggering costs from flooding, storms, and heatwaves. New York has the tools, know-how, and policy proposals to lead the nation with the implementation of its landmark Climate Act. The time to act is now!

Fossil-Free Future Campaign

New York will not meet its climate goals, or align with the recommendations of global climate scientists, if fossil fuel extraction and burning continues. Buoyed by your critical support, NYPIRG’s Fossil-Free Future Campaign is fighting for comprehensive policies that will set New York up as a national and global leader in combating climate change. Future generations are depending on us.

Fossil-Free Future Campaign Goals and Objectives

Achieving the goals of the CLCPA will require an aggressive approach and a deep commitment by New York State’s leaders. There can be no half measures or false solutions. To ensure that the state rises to this critical challenge, NYPIRG’s Fossil-Free Future Campaign has adopted a multi-pronged strategy:

1. Holding corporate polluters responsible for their role in the climate crisis: Since the 1970s, the fossil fuel industry has known the environmental risks associated with burning fossil fuels and accurately predicted the timetable in which those changes would occur. Avoiding responsibility, the industry used its considerable clout to withhold the evidence from the public, undermine climate science, and hire consultants and lobbyists to derail health and environmental reforms.

Now, the costs of the climate crisis continue to grow — it is estimated that at least $10 billion a year is needed to protect New Yorkers from the impacts of the climate crisis and to combat the climate crisis. We are calling for the creation of a “Climate Change Superfund,” modeled after the existing Superfund programs, as a way to raise funds for the state’s adaptation efforts in response to more frequent extreme storms, flooding, and other global warming impacts.

The Climate Change Superfund Act — which was passed by the New York State Legislature in June of 2024 but is still awaiting Governor Hochul’s signature — requires big oil companies to pay for damages caused by the climate crisis, with protections so that costs will not be passed on to consumers. Looking at past greenhouse gas emissions, this legislation will generate $3 billion a year and $75 billion in revenue over 25 years to fund climate protection and assistance programs, especially for disadvantaged and environmental justice communities. And it could fund massive statewide upgrades to roads, bridges, subways, and transit systems; unprecedented upgrades to storm water drainage and sewage treatment systems; preparing the power grid for stronger hurricanes and other severe storms; new systems to protect state residents from more frequent and deadly heatwaves; and responses to environmental and public health threats, such as algal blooms caused by a rapidly heating planet. Analyses have been conducted that show that the state can enact such a measure and do it in such a manner as to prohibit such assessments being passed on to consumers.

2. Tackling greenhouse gas emissions from buildings: Buildings are New York State and City’s top source of climate pollution. The International Energy Agency recently released a report stating that there cannot be new development of oil and gas fields, and have recommended a ban on gas and oil furnaces in new construction globally by 2025. A common sense and necessary solution is mandating that all new construction rely on electricity instead of fossil fuels.

VICTORY! After a hard fought campaign led by NYPIRG and partner organizations, New York has passed the first state law to ban new fossil fuel hookups and mandate electricity for new construction, following New York City’s footsteps.

Additionally, in 2019, New York City passed Local Law 97 to reduce emissions from existing large buildings. Buildings in New York City above 25,000 square feet must reduce their pollution to 2024 and 2030 benchmarks, or face fees for non-compliance. This landmark law is being implemented now, and we are tracking the roll-out to make sure that it is implemented fully, without loopholes or giveaways to the real estate lobby.

3. Halting investment in fossil fuel infrastructure: New York will not break free from fossil fuels if it continues to provide permits or funding for fossil fuel infrastructure. NYPIRG helped win several recent environmental victories when New York denied the permit for a fossil fuel power plant in Astoria, Queens, halted the proposed Williams oil and gas pipeline, and passed a moratorium on fossil fuel-powered cryptocurrency operations. Also, a six-year fight for clean air and public health came to an end when Danskammer Energy withdrew its application to build a new fracked gas power plant on the Hudson River in Newburgh, New York. It is essential for the state to stop approving applications for new fossil fuel projects and to phase out the use of existing facilities. Current efforts are aimed toward the Iroquois Pipeline expansion proposal, a gas pipeline that goes from Canada to New York City, that is seeking permits to expand compressor station operations in the towns of Athens and Dover.

4. Investing in renewable energy sources like solar, wind, and battery storage: New York has not made enough progress expanding solar and wind energy and must put its energy dollars solely toward projects that help achieve the goals of the CLCPA. As we move to electrify buildings and transportation, it is important to make sure that the electricity is not coming from fossil fuels, but rather clean energy sources.

5. Pressing for funding for environmental programs and to stop corporate polluter handouts: Tax subsidies and tax-exemption loopholes for the fossil fuel industry should be eliminated, and other measures to recoup windfall profits that the oil industry has recently received should be developed — and done so in a manner that protects consumers.

6. Shifting the transportation system away from reliance on fossil fuels and towards reliance on electric power: Transportation is the second highest sector responsible for New York’s greenhouse gas emissions at 28%. For decades, NYPIRG has been involved in New York’s adoption of the California auto emission standards. To meet greenhouse gas emission reduction targets, the state must phase out all fossil fuel vehicles and transition to electric cars and buses. Changes in the state’s transportation system are necessary to develop infrastructure that allows for the easy charging of electric vehicles (of all types), as well as removing obstacles to the purchasing of affordable electric vehicles in the auto marketplace. New York should mandate that vehicles sold are 100% electric no later than 2035.

7. Calling for transparency and accountability: NYPIRG has released “Climate Scorecards” to assess New York’s progress on climate goals, and we sent a letter to former New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Basil Seggos calling for more transparency. NYPIRG is calling on the Climate Action Council (established within the CLCPA to develop details in order to implement the law) to create a public climate scorecard to both ensure that the public can easily access information on the state’s progress toward meeting its goals under the CLCPA, and to hold state government accountable to ensure that it does meet its goals. New York State currently has an Energy Dashboard that contains some of the elements of a scorecard (the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority’s Energy Dashboard), which can be expanded to cover more climate metrics.

Events & Activities

When: 10 AM
Where: City Hall in Manhattan

NYPIRG and our coalition partners held a rally and lobby day in support of fully implementing New York City's Local Law 97!
Local Law 97 is already fulfilling its potential to create jobs, cut air pollution, and reduce energy bills — all while helping us meet our urgent climate goals — but a New York City Council bill has been introduced which could gut Local Law 97. We urged council members to oppose Intro 772, proposed legislation that would gut Local Law 97 by undermining enforcement of the law and effectively exempting thousands of large co-ops and condo buildings from its requirements.
 
When: 12 PM
Where: Outside of the governor's Manhattan office (633 3rd Avenue, New York, NY 10016)

NYPIRG, our coalition partners, and author/environmentalist Bill McKibben delivered over 127,000 petition signatures to Governor Hochul urging her to sign the Climate Change Superfund Act (S.2129-B/A.3351-B) into law to make Big Oil — not New York taxpayers — pay for climate damages!
New York has a historic opportunity to make corporate polluters pay for the damage that they have done to the climate and our communities. This spring, the New York State Legislature passed this groundbreaking piece of legislation, which would force major fossil fuel companies to pay their fair share for climate damages in New York. The bill would raise $3 billion a year to fix roads and bridges, upgrade our schools, make our communities more resilientand do so without having the costs passed on to the public.
 
Big Oil companies have known for decades that their products were destroying the climate. But instead of warning the American people, they spent millions to spread disinformation and lobby against climate action. Why should they be allowed to continue to rake in record profits while we pay the costs?
 
In May, Vermont became the first state in the nation to pass a climate superfund bill that would make polluters pay. Now, it is time for New York to join the fight and hold these corporate polluters accountable.
 
Tell Governor Hochul to sign the Climate Change Superfund Act into law now – watch our MAKE POLLUTERS PAY video and TAKE ACTION TODAY!
When: 10 AM
Where: Brooklyn

It is time to make corporate climate polluters pay!

Just days after flash flooding across New York City, NYPIRG joined New York City Comptroller Brad Lander and a coalition of climate activists in Brooklyn to urge Governor Hochul to sign the Climate Change Superfund Act to make Big Oil — not New York taxpayers — pay for climate crisis damages.

When: 12 PM
Where: Outside of the governor's Manhattan office (633 3rd Avenue, New York, NY 10016)

NYPIRG and our coalition partners rallied outside of Governor Hochul's Manhattan office to MAKE POLLUTERS PAY! We need the governor to sign the Climate Change Superfund Act into law to make Big Oil — not New York taxpayers — pay for climate crisis damage.

When: 6:30 PM
Where: The New York Society for Ethical Culture Concert Hall

It is time to hold our leaders accountable – in person!

Governor Hochul's cancellation of congestion pricing and the New York State Assembly's failure to pass vital bills are a climate disaster. To address this, NYPIRG and a broad coalition of organizations sponsored a town hall-style forum to question top elected leaders about the accelerating climate crisis, which was attended by hundreds of New Yorkers. Experts explained the issues, and then we put our questions to the state- and city-level officials in attendance.

We Need Your Support to Win

To combat the powerful oil and gas lobby, New Yorkers must let their leaders know in no uncertain terms that they support strong climate policies. NYPIRG has a vast network of tens of thousands of community supporters and college student volunteers, and we will continue to activate this powerful statewide network on this critical issue — sharing opportunities for public comments, social media days of action, call-in drives, media events, community meetings, and more. That is where you come in…

Winning on all of this — along with our continued work on public health, government reform, consumer and voting rights, higher education, mass transit, and more — will only be possible if we have the grassroots support that we need to go up against the politically powerful. Your help will be essential as we take on the polluters, well-heeled lobbyists, and those public officials who put their own interests ahead of the public interest. Please support our crucial efforts to combat the climate crisis:

Thank you for your support!
From absentee ballots to free rides, local colleges break down barriers to get students voting  (WHEC, October 12, 2024)
Put Big Oil on the hook for climate damages instead of NY taxpayers (Guest Opinion by Blair Horner)  (Syracuse.com, October 9, 2024)
Report: 20 New York Colleges Don’t Have Polling Places, Violating State Law  (Democracy Docket, October 8, 2024)
Groups say Niagara, St. Bonaventure lack voting sites for students  (The Buffalo News, October 8, 2024)
Coalition FOILs BOE over on-campus voting  (ABC News 27, October 8, 2024)
Albany's first steps in New York's budget dance  (WAMC, October 7, 2024)
Coalition FOILs BOE over on-campus voting  (WBRL, October 7, 2024)
Knocking on Doors Ahead of Election Day  (WNYC, October 4, 2024)
NYPIRG Spearheads Voter Registration Efforts  (The New Paltz Oracle, October 2, 2024)
A New York scandal, again  (WAMC, September 30, 2024)
Is Hochul a climate hero or a villain?  (City & State, September 23, 2024)
Funding to bolster clean energy workforce  (ABC News 10, September 23, 2024)
Restricting smoking – one of the great public health successes  (WAMC, September 23, 2024)
Governor Hochul’s mass transit “pause” casts shadow on state budget  (WAMC, September 16, 2024)
New York hit by record number of large-scale climate disasters this year  (WAMC, September 15, 2024)
Gianaris: Law change amid $25M Cuomo legal fees 'the right thing to do'  (Spectrum News, September 12, 2024)
A decision by New York’s highest court helps voters  (WAMC, September 9, 2024)
NYPIRG’s Blair Horner argues against further in­vestment in nuclear  (Spectrum News, September 5, 2024)
The Push for Public Banking in New York  (The American Prospect, September 4, 2024)
N.Y. fiscal watchdog researching risk, ethics of proposed Climate Superfund  (Spectrum News, September 4, 2024)
News Archive
A coalition of civic organizations released a letter to the State Board of Elections identifying possible failures in state law mandating that colleges with dorms have polling places. The groups urged action to ensure compliance or to strengthen the law.
A coalition of civic, environmental, social justice, and community-based charities joined with small business “redemption centers” to call on Governor Hochul and the state legislative leaders “to urge your attention and immediate action to prevent business closings and job losses by supporting legislation to boost the ‘handling fee’ that provides revenues for redemption centers, which are critical to the success of the state’s Bottle Deposit Law.”
VICTORY! On Monday, June 17, a six-year fight for clean air and public health came to an end when Danskammer Energy withdrew its application to build a new fracked gas plant on the Hudson River in Newburgh, NY.
As a dangerous heat wave grips New York, sending "feels like" temperatures soaring above 100 degrees, community leaders, local officials, and extreme weather survivors are demanding Governor Hochul take immediate action by signing the recently passed Climate Change Superfund Act (S.2129B/A.3351B) into law.
Tale of the Tape: NYPIRG's 2024 Legislative Review – The number of bills that passed in the Senate increased, while that number decreased in the Assembly. The Governor's use of emergency "messages of necessity" flattens.
NY State Assembly Passes Historic Climate Superfund Bill to Make Polluters Pay for Climate Damages
NYPIRG's Statement on Governor Hochul's Delay of Congestion Pricing
A coalition supporting improvements to the state’s Bottle Deposit Law today released a listing of over 1,000 local charities that benefit from the law. The coalition argued that these charities offer services for those in need and that modernization of the forty-year-old law would enhance the charities’ services.
A coalition supporting improving the state’s Bottle Deposit Law today released a review of recent redemption center closures. The review, conducted by redemption centers, identified 97 businesses that have closed or appear to be closed. Another 54 redemption centers had disconnected phones and no obvious social media presence. The coalition argued that many of these closures are the direct result of New York's 15 year "freeze" of the handling fee that redemption centers rely on for revenues.
NYPIRG Reacts to Speaker Heastie's Comments on Climate Change Superfund Act
A coalition of civic groups today called on the New York State Board of Elections to review the state’s polling locations to see if colleges have on-campus polls as required under the law. The letter is in reaction to the results of a survey conducted by NYPIRG. NYPIRG analyzed 199 colleges (217 campuses, some colleges have multiple campuses) in New York State, of which 147 have dorms located on their premises. This review of the locations of polling places for college students living on-campus identifies a wide gap between those campuses that have dorms and the number that have polling places.
A statewide coalition representing hundreds of community, environmental, labor, and religious groups today applauded state Senate approval of the Climate Change Superfund Act, which requires Big Oil to cover New York's climate damages – not taxpayers. The groups urged swift action in the state Assembly. The majority of Assemblymembers are sponsors of the legislation.
News Release on NYPIRG's Recent Victory Expanding Financial Aid for Low-Income Patients
Environmental, community, and business groups representing 300 New York organizations today held a press conference to urge state lawmakers to include the "Bigger, Better, Bottle Bill" (S.237B/A6353A) as a "must do" priority for the end of session
NYPIRG Statement on Start of Congestion Pricing
NYPIRG reacted to elements of the final state budget, highlighting the "good," the "bad," and the "ugly."
Release: County & Local Elected Officials Join 180+ Organizations to Urge Governor Hochul & Assembly Speaker Heastie to End $265M of Fossil Fuel Subsidies in the Final NYS Budget
Bill to Gut NYC’s Landmark Climate and Jobs Law Slammed as Real Estate Lobby Attack Begins. Proposed Linda Lee bill would eviscerate Local Law 97, which is creating thousands of local jobs, cutting utility bills, and reducing pollution.
Report and Release: Climate Change Superfund Environmental Justice. $1 Billion Potential Scenario of Annual Allocations by Region and County
Report from NYPIRG and NY Renews – On the Backs of New York State Households: The Extreme Costs of Climate Change Impacts Families in Every Region of the State
Reports & Features Archive