Metzger, Skoufis to hold hearing on Climate and Community Protection Act

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Senators Jen Metzger (SD-42) and James Skoufis (SD-39) will hold a hearing on Friday, March 1, from 2 - 5:30 p.m., at the New Paltz Village Hall to hear public comments on the Climate and Community Protection Act (CCPA), S2992 - proposed state legislation to address accelerating climate change.

“Climate change presents the greatest challenge of our time, and we know from the science that we must take meaningful action now if we are to mitigate the severity of the threat to public health, safety, and economic well-being,” said Senator Jen Metzger. “The CCPA offers a path forward, and I believe it is very important that we get input on this legislation directly from a broad array of stakeholders here in the Hudson Valley.”

“Confronting climate change with an innovative and inclusive strategy is what we must strive for,” said Skoufis. “We can all be allies in developing solutions that respect our planet and generations to come. The CCPA gives us an opportunity to deliver results before it’s too late, and it’s vital that we hear from our Hudson Valley constituents whose contributions will shape how we tackle this challenge.”

Some of the main provisions of the CCPA include:

• Setting a target to reduce GHG emissions by 100 percent by 2050, with benchmarks every five years;

• Creating a 25-member interagency Climate Action Council, chaired by the Commissioner of the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation, to develop a scoping plan to achieve targets, with input by outside experts, stakeholders, and the public;

• Authorizing agencies and authorities to develop regulations, policies, and programs to implement CCPA targets and provisions;

• Developing a comprehensive GHG emissions data inventory, to be updated annually, that includes emissions associated with imported electricity and gas;

• Creating a broadly representative Climate Justice Working Group to identify communities for co-pollutant and GHG emissions reductions and climate-related investment opportunities;

• Directing at least 40% of the barriers to accessing clean energy resources for low-to-moderate income households and environmental justice communities;

• Setting of labor standards and requirements.

The CCPA passed the Assembly in previous years but had not passed the Senate. The current bill, S2992/A3876, is sponsored by Senator Todd Kaminsky, Chair of the Senate Environmental Conservation Committee, and Assembly Member Steve Englebright, Chair of the Assembly Environmental Conservation Committee. The bill can be found on the State Senate website at nysenate.gov.

Those who would like to attend and/or testify are asked to register at ccpa_public_hearing.eventbrite.com or by calling 344.3311. Registration is free and open to the public.

The hearing will be recorded and live-streamed at facebook.com/SenatorJenMetzger