Contact: Larisa Manescu larisa.manescu@sierraclub.org
ALBANY, NY - Today, at the New York State Capitol, Assemblymember Patricia Fahy and Assemblymember John T. McDonald III joined a broad coalition of advocates from environmental and transportation organizations to deliver a petition from over 7,000 New Yorkers calling on Governor Cuomo to act on reducing emissions from transportation.
The transportation sector accounts for 36 percent of New York’s total greenhouse gas emissions and endangers the health of communities across the state. The petition calls on Governor Cuomo to adopt a bold statewide target to reduce emissions from transportation 55% by 2035 in his 2020 State of the State in order to reach the climate goals New York laid out in its historic Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA) passed this summer. While the CLCPA sets bold commitments to reduce emissions from the power sector, it doesn’t offer any interim target for reducing transportation emissions.
The petition delivery in Albany was the final event in a week-long electric/mass transit relay “Get Set, Go Green!” relay, where Sierra Club activists from across New York, including Long Island, Buffalo, Rochester, New York City, the Lower Hudson, and Plattsburgh, transported petition signatures along their journeys using a minimal carbon footprint.
Assemblymember Patricia Fahy said: “New York’s transportation sector accounts for nearly 36% of our state’s total greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) according to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. The Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act sets the nation’s most ambitious climate goals and targets for reduction of GHGs – yet the sector comprising the state’s and nation’s largest share of GHGs remains without any interim goals or plans to achieve reductions. Reducing transportation emissions must be a crucial part of the state’s future, multipronged strategy to combat climate change and meet the CLCPA’s goals.”
Assemblymember John T. McDonald III said: “New York must provide strong leadership in the fight to reduce transportation emissions to curtail future climate change. With the passage of the Climate Change Protection Act, it is clear that we have an aggressive plan to reduce emissions. The transportation arena, which has seen increases in emissions over the past several years, is not exempt. We need to work with new technology and innovative programs to support our goals of moving toward greener transportation alternatives.”
Allison Considine, New York Campaign Representative with the Sierra Club, said: “New York has some of the boldest climate legislation in the nation, but we’re facing an uphill battle to achieve real change in a time of climate crisis without a clear target to reduce emissions from transportation. New Yorkers from across the state are calling on Governor Cuomo to start 2020 off with a bold commitment to reduce transportation emissions to set us on the right course for decades to come.”
Joel Levin, Executive Director of Plug In America, said: "All New Yorkers benefit from the increasingly available and affordable clean transportation options, including electric vehicles. They have a wide range of benefits, including reduced emissions of carbon dioxide and other pollutants, and EVs place downward pressure on electricity rates for everyone. And with the additional benefits for EV drivers, they are a win-win for consumers and communities. The goal of reducing transportation emissions 55% by 2035 is achievable and will help the State of New York achieve its overall carbon emission reduction targets. We encourage Governor Cuomo to adopt this target."
Julie Tighe, President of the New York League of Conservation Voters, said: "As the Trump Administration continues to reverse environmental progress, states like New York must take strong and aggressive action to combat climate change. That's why over 550 of NYLCV's members sent messages to Governor Cuomo asking him to commit to an ambitious emission-reduction plan for the transportation sector - New York’s #1 contributor to climate change - that includes investments in clean transportation such as mass transit. We need to build on the leadership Governor Cuomo showed on congestion pricing by continuing to take bold action to clean our transportation system and avert the climate crisis.”
Lauren Bailey, Director of Climate Policy for Tri-State Transportation Campaign, said: "New York's bold commitments to reducing emissions and protecting our environment means that all eyes are on us. A transition this large requires meaning steps on the road to change. Governor Cuomo must commit to interim benchmarks to lead the transportation industry in the right direction and on a rapid timeline."
Michaela Ciovacco, Program Coordinator for New Yorkers for Clean Power, said: “As the sector that contributes the largest percentage of New York’s greenhouse gas emissions, transportation needs to be addressed seriously, at scale, and soon,“The transition to a clean energy economy does not happen overnight. We need leaders like Governor Cuomo to commit to bold targets as we build the road to electrify everything.”
Rich Schrader, New York Legislative Director at the Natural Resources Defense Council, said: “It’s time for New York to act boldly when it comes to cleaning up our transportation system. From crumbling infrastructure to delayed buses and trains to harmful tailpipe pollution fueling the climate crisis, we are all affected by the system’s extensive failures. A crisis of this scale and scope demands a serious solution and a comprehensive approach – including a strong regional Transportation and Climate Initiative policy that will scale up New York’s leadership and cut traffic congestion and pollution while investing in clean transportation solutions for all New Yorkers. It’s time for the rubber to meet the road.”
Daniel Gatti, Senior Transportation Analyst for the Clean Vehicles program at the Union of Concerned Scientists, said: “For the sake of our climate and our public health, New York must commit to building a clean transportation system. Communities in New York are exposed to the highest levels of pollution from transportation in the United States, according to a UCS analysis released earlier this year. The burden of transportation pollution falls particularly hard on communities of color, who experience between 60 and 75 percent more pollution from transportation than white residents. New York’s strategy to reduce transportation emissions should include enforceable limits on transportation emissions, as well as significant investments in electric vehicles, public transportation, bike and pedestrian infrastructure and affordable housing near transit.”
Background:
As reported in The Times Union and POLITICO in September, the Sierra Club and partners are advocating for the 55% by 2035 target based off a report that shows the target to be bold, achievable, and necessary for New York to deliver on its ambition and leadership in tackling the climate crisis.
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 3.5 million members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.