Here’s what we’re reading this week:
NYC Clean School Bus Coalition Releases Agenda for Getting to 2035, Deadline for NYC’s 100% All-Electric School Bus Fleet
Last year the NYC Clean School Bus Coalition stayed busy on the advocacy front, accomplishing their biggest goal when Intro-455A passed in the fall. Now, with a citywide mandate for all school buses to be electric by 2035, the coalition is shifting it’s work to focus on the next five years. The agenda highlights goals to support a swift transition to electric school buses, to facilitate equitable implementation, and to expand the coalition’s reach beyond New York City. The coalition will look at utility funding for EV charging stations and electric school buses, as well as researching different tools that can better facilitate deployment via financing, leasing models, and vehicle to grid technology.
NYLCV Advocates for Expanded Protection of New York Wetlands
In the fight against climate change, carbon sinks play a vital role in reducing the amount of greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere. These sinks, such as forests and wetlands, also host a variety of biodiversity, providing the foundation on which the climate can heal and recover. However, over 60 percent of New York State’s wetlands have been lost due to human development, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, putting already-fragile ecosystems at risk as greenhouse gasses are released into the atmosphere.
Asked about the new city government’s priorities, several experts and stakeholders said they’d like to see Mayor Eric Adams follow through on his climate-related campaign promises.
Julie Tighe, President of the New York League of Conservation Voters said she supports more bike lanes, and she emphasized that increased funding for parks—especially in low-income communities—would provide beneficial shade. “We want to make sure we’re getting more trees but in particular in those communities that are underserved with green spaces,” she said. “Parks are a big part of how we’re going to help with resiliency—in absorbing stormwater, in protecting our shorelines, and so we need to make sure we’re making those investments and protecting communities that are at risk.”
Yonkers residents will join the ranks of renewable energy consumers at competitive rates as part of the Westchester Power sustainable program. With electricity rates expected to increase in 2022, the program will lock in a rate a little higher than last year's average. Yonkers residents will automatically be enrolled in Westchester Power, in which they'll pay for hydroelectricity instead of electricity generated from fossil fuels. Sustainable Westchester administers the program, called Westchester Power, which provides electricity to 28 county municipalities. Yonkers will make the 29th. City officials said the move will make Yonkers the largest city in the state to participate in a Community Choice Aggregation program, which allows local governments to put out bids for the total amount of power — in this case electricity — participating residents are buying.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams today announced the appointments of his climate leadership team that will focus on environmental protection and environmental justice across New York City. Mayor Adams appointed Rohit T. Aggarwala as chief climate officer and commissioner of the New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), Vincent Sapienza as chief operations officer of DEP, and Kizzy Charles-Guzman as executive director of the new Mayor’s Office of Climate and Environmental Justice (MOCEJ) — which consolidates multiple city agencies into one. Mayor Adams highlighted these accomplished environmentalists’ proven track record of promoting cleaner air, advancing climate resiliency, and protecting New Yorkers.
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