Climate Movement Shows Power at New York City Candidate Climate Briefing

This afternoon, representatives from 49 campaigns for New York City elected officials attended a briefing on climate change. Climate change has emerged as a top priority in this year’s City elections, with voters demanding bold policies from candidates at all levels of government.

This afternoon’s robust candidate attendance demonstrates the power of the climate movement and represents a critical step forward in New York City’s tackling of the climate crisis.

The 72 co-sponsoring organizations represent a broad coalition of New Yorkers from across the city, allied in their commitment to equitable solutions for the climate crisis.

Convening organizations include Food & Water Watch, the Peoples Climate Movement – NY, WE ACT for Environmental Justice, Sane Energy Project, the New York State Nurses Association and ALIGN.

Over the course of one hour, speakers briefed candidates on far-ranging topics including climate change’s public health impact, the need for a just and rapid transition off fossil fuels and specific policies that would create good jobs while investing in our communities – particularly in low-income communities and communities of color, who are the hardest hit by climate change.

“Any candidate serious about pursuing public office in New York City must stand for swift, bold action that moves us off fossil fuels,” said Eric Weltman, New York-based Senior Organizer with Food & Water Watch. “New Yorkers are demanding that our political candidates stop fossil fuel infrastructure and ensure a just transition to a cleaner energy future. We look forward to seeing candidates carry the torch on climate throughout their campaigns.”

“The climate crisis has already been felt in NYC. There is no time to waste in our efforts to move off of fossil fuels and into a renewable energy economy that is grounded in a commitment to equity and justice. Our elected officials must work with impacted communities where the most creative solutions are being developed. We encourage all candidates in this year’s NYC elections to use their platform to encourage bold action on climate,” said Leslie Cagan, coordinator of the Peoples Climate Movement-NY.

“An equitable recovery for New York will depend on leadership who will listen and uplift the most impacted communities who are demanding a Just Transition to a green energy future. Right now, Black and brown frontline communities are suffering from the overlapping crises of COVID-19, unemployment, and climate catastrophe. New Yorkers are looking for a vision and plan to create hundreds of thousands of climate jobs to build the infrastructure needed to ensure communities thrive. That vision can only be realized with leadership that has the courage and political will to demand the big transformative changes that our communities need,” said Maritza Silva-Farrell, Executive Director of ALIGN.

“The turnout for today’s climate briefing is evidence of the commitment – among both politicians and community-based organizations across the city – to addressing the climate crisis in a just and equitable way,”

“The turnout for today’s climate briefing is evidence of the commitment – among both politicians and community-based organizations across the city – to addressing the climate crisis in a just and equitable way,” added Peggy Shepard, Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Harlem-based WE ACT for Environmental Justice, who spoke at the briefing. “It’s a good sign because we’ll need partners to advance policies and programs that support and protect legislation like Local Law 97, ensuring that the city meets its climate goals and that no community is left behind.”

You can view a recording of today’s event via the New York State Nurses Association’s Facebook page.

Co-Sponsored by:

2030 Districts Network; 350Brooklyn; 350NYC; ALIGN; American Indian Community House; Bangladeshi Americans for Political Progress;

Bronx Climate Justice North; Brooklyn For Peace; Brownsville Residents Green Committee; Camp Kinderland; The Climate Reality Project: New York City Metro Chapter; ClimateMama;

Commission on the Public’s Health System; Community Church of New York; Covid19 Global Solidarity Coalition; CWA Local 1102; Environmental Justice Comm. of Coalition of Municipal Retiree Organizations (COMRO); Food & Water Watch; Granny Peace Brigade NYC;

Green Map System; Greeningfullife; Heat Cool Smart Brooklyn; Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, Inc.; iEat Green; Indivisible Harlem; Indivisible Upper East Side; Jewish Climate Action Network NYC; Jim Owles Liberal Democratic Club; Kinetic Communities; LUNGS (Loisaida United Neighborhood Gardens); Manhattan Young Democrats; March for Science NYC;

Metro NY Raging Grannies; Nancy E Anderson Associates; New Economy Project; New York Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (NYCAN); New York City Environmental Justice Alliance; New York Communities for Change; New York Lawyers for the Public Interest; New York League of Conservation Voters Education Fund;

New York State Nurses Association; Newtown Creek Alliance; North American Climate, Conservation and Environment(NACCE); North Brooklyn Neighbors; Northeast Megadam Resistance Alliance; NY Sun Works; Peace Action Bay Ridge; Peoples Climate Movement – NY; Plus1Vote;

The Point CDC; Pratt Center for Community Development; ProtectTheSacredNYC; Queens Climate Project; RETI Center; Reverend Billy & The Church of Stop Shopping; Rise And Resist; Sane Energy Project; Sara Roosevelt Park Community Coalition; Schaghticoke First Nations Inc.;

SEMILLA WARUNKWA; Sixth Street Community Center; Slow Food North Shore; St. Monica’s Green Team; Stop the Chop NY/NJ; Sustainable Staten Island; Tishman Environment and Design Center at The New School; Tribal Link Foundation; United for Action; Vokashi, Inc.; WE ACT for Environmental Justice; and West 80s Neighborhood Association.

Photo credit: Harlem’s Peggy Shepard.