Every day, find the green thread, the environment meeting of Liberation. Today, the good news for the planet.
They call it the «Green New Deal new-yorkais». The American state and its 19.5 million inhabitants approved, Wednesday, a bill on ecological transition among the most ambitious in the country. Result of four years of difficult negotiations, the State Senate, with a Democratic majority since the mid-term elections in November, narrowly obtained, Sunday, an agreement on the content of the text.
It forecasts an 85% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 (compared to 1990). The remaining 15% can be offset by purchasing carbon credits, i.e. the financing of projects considered beneficial for the climate. The text called “Climate & Communities Protection Act” aims to promote a socially just transition. Thus, 35% of the state’s energy budget will have to be directed to low-income communities affected by pollution.
After Hawaii, California, New Mexico, Nevada and Washington, New York becomes the sixth state to adopt a target of 100% carbon-free electricity. The new text goes further by targeting 70% renewable energies within eleven years, and a total elimination of emissions produced by electricity suppliers by 2040.
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Currently, New York electricity is produced at 60% from carbon-free sources, mainly hydroelectric and nuclear. To meet its objectives, the state plans to deploy offshore wind turbines, as well as programs to install solar panels on the roofs.
This vote will have a major economic impact. With a gross domestic product (GDP) of more than 1.5 trillion euros, New York State weighs more than South Korea, or even Russia.
In September 2018, California had already laid the groundwork for an ambitious climate policy with the passage of its so-called “SB100” law. It is leading the State, with a larger GDP than the United Kingdom, on the path to electricity produced 100% without greenhouse gas emissions by 2045.
Nationally, the most progressive Democrats, embodied by elected House of Representatives Alexandria Occasio Cortez, carry a “Green New Deal” with still unclear contours but whose goal is to engage the whole of society in ecological transition.
Aude Massiot
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