New York’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act

The Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act  (“Climate Act”) puts New York on a path to reaching net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The Climate Act sets ambitious new goals that will require innovation in the ways that New Yorkers get around, heat their homes, and use electricity.

The Climate Act strengthens New York’s existing clean energy programs with its ambitious economy-wide and sector-specific targets for GHG reductions. The Climate Act also accelerates previous targets for the development of renewable energy and energy storage:

The Climate Act establishes a New York State Climate Action Council (Council) that will be responsible for developing a scoping plan with recommended actions to ensure the attainment of statewide greenhouse gas emission reduction targets. The Council will oversee the establishment of sector-specific advisory panels and will work in consultation with the Climate Justice Working Group, the Just Transition Working Group and the Environmental Justice Advisory Group.

The targets outlined in the Climate Act will drive the transformation of the economy, create new jobs, and stimulate innovation in New York State, all while ensuring that Disadvantaged Communities receive at least 35% of the overall benefits from clean energy program spending. REV Connect is focusing its activities for 2021 and beyond to identify projects and partnerships that support and help achieve Climate Act goals. Learn more about this in the overview of our Innovation Assessment.