(New York) The State of New York adopted on Wednesday a text providing for the reduction of 85% of its polluting emissions by 2050, a law that is intended to be pioneering in terms of climate change and social justice.
Posted on Jun 19, 2019 at 12:21 p.m.
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The law, hailed by environmental protection associations, including the Sierra Club, as “the most ambitious in the country in terms of climate justice”, provides in particular that the electricity used in this state of 20 million inhabitants comes from 70% renewable energy sources by 2030.
In addition to an 85% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, it provides incentives that are supposed to reduce the impact of the remaining 15% of emissions.
The text also plans to devote 35% of public investments linked to climate change to the most disadvantaged communities, and to cushion the shock for workers employed in the economic sectors most affected by the energy transition.
“While Washington stands idly by, New York is showing the way,” said Democratic Senator Todd Kaminsky, one of the main architects of the law, in a statement.
The text “will virtually eliminate New York emissions, encourage the production of renewable energy, create green jobs, invest in disadvantaged communities and protect the planet.” New Yorkers and the world can’t wait any longer ”.
Others, like the conservative anti-tax organization Americans for Tax Reform, denounced an unrealistic text.
“It’s a law [aux objectifs] impossible to achieve, which will increase all costs in an already overpriced state, ”she responded in a tweet.
Between 1990 and 2015, New York reduced its total greenhouse gas emissions by only 8.4%, according to an official report from 2018. In transportation, emissions increased by almost 20% over this period. period.
The law was passed just before the New York State Parliament’s summer recess, after a compromise was reached between Governor Andrew Cuomo and the two houses of the state Parliament, both of which have been majority Democrats since. January.
New York Democrats pride themselves on having adopted their version of the “Green New Deal” advocated by a growing number of Democrats ahead of the 2020 presidential election, in order to shift the US economy to clean energy while promoting the creation of “Good jobs”.
New York and California, two Democratic strongholds, are fighting for leadership status in the fight against climate change, regularly denouncing the climate-skepticism of the Trump administration.
After exiting the Paris agreement, he backtracked on several Obama administration measures to reduce emissions, including those providing for the closure of coal plants.
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