ALBANY, New York — Gov. Kathy Hochul is pushing to weaken New York’s landmark climate law and set a new interim target she likely won’t be in office to miss.
The Hochul administration has already missed targets in the law for establishing regulations to meet a 2030 target for emissions reductions. The governor’s delays have drawn the ire of environmental advocates, who are fighting her proposal to change the climate law.
“Everything the governor has proposed is to kick the can down the line so she doesn’t have to do anything,” said Liz Moran, New York policy advocate for Earthjustice. The group represents environmental justice groups suing the state over its failure to issue regulations by the 2024 deadline.
Part of the governor’s proposal is an interim, likely nonbinding 2040 emissions reduction target. But lawmakers haven’t yet gotten any details about the proposed target.