UNDER THE 2019 CLIMATE LEADERSHIP AND COMMUNITY PROTECTION ACT, NEW YORK HAS GOALS AND BENCHMARKS IN MISS TO REDUCE GAS EMISSIONS AND TO ACHIEVE ZERO EMISSION ELECTRICITY IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS, BUT AS OF TODAY, THE STATE IS NOT ON TRACK TO MEET THOSE GOALS FOR A NUMBER OF REASONS.

IN THIS NEXT SEGMENT, REPORTER ELISE KLINE DIVES INTO THE STATE'S APPROACH TO ITS ENVIRONMENTAL GOALS AND THE WORK AHEAD.

[ THEME MUSIC ] AT A TIME WHEN STATES ACROSS THE NATION FACE THE IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE, NEW YORK IS TRYING TO REACH SEVERAL ENVIRONMENTAL GOALS THEY SET FOR THEMSELVES BACK IN 2019 TO DRAMATICALLY DECREASE GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS.

THE CLIMATE LEADERSHIP AND COMMUNITY PROTECTION ACT, ALSO CALLED THE CLIMATE ACT OR THE SEAL CPA WHICH PASSED IN ALBANY IN 2019, ESTABLISHED GOALS TO ACHIEVE ZERO EMISSION ELECTRICITY BY 2040 AND REDUCE EMISSIONS BY 85% BELOW 1990 LEVELS BY 2050.

LEADING UP TO THESE BIG GOALS, THE STATE SET SMALLER GOALS SUCH AS ACHIEVING 70% RENEWABLE ENERGY AND REDUCING GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS BY 40% FROM 1990 LEVELS BY 2030.

JEFF FREEDMAN, A RESEARCH FACULTY MEMBER AT THE ATMOSPHERIC CENTER AT SUNY ALBANY SAYS THE STATE'S GOALS ARE PART OF THE SOLUTION TO COMBATING CLIMATE CHANGE.

I THINK THERE LAUDABLE.

I THINK THIS IS THE WAY TO GO.

I THINK NEW YORK HAS ALWAYS BEEN A LEADER IN THIS.

I'M HAPPY TO SEE THIS.

AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, I'M CONFIDENT THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO MEET THESE GOALS TO ACHIEVE THE GOALS SET FORTH BY THE 2019 STATE LAW, THE CLIMATE ACT CREATED A CLIMATE ACTION COUNCIL.

THE CLIMATE ACTION COUNCIL IS MADE UP OF CLIMATE EXPERTS, STATE AGENCY REPRESENTATIVES AND CLIMATE ADVOCATES.

THE 22 MEMBERS WERE APPOINTED BY THE GOVERNOR AND LEGISLATIVE LEADERS FROM THE ASSEMBLY AND THE SENATE.

ROBERT HOWARD, A PROFESSOR OF ECOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL BIOLOGY AT CORNELL UNIVERSITY WAS APPOINTED AS A CLIMATE ACTION COUNCIL MEMBER BY THE ASSEMBLY SPEAKER.

HE SAYS THE CLIMATE GOALS ARE AGGRESSIVE BUT ACHIEVABLE.

THE GOALS ARE REQUIRED REALLY.

THE ENTIRE WORLD HAS TO MOVE AT LEAST THAT QUICKLY TO DECARBONIZE IF WE ARE TO REDUCE THE RISK OF RUNAWAY, CATASTROPHIC GLOBAL WARMING.

IN DECEMBER OF 2021, THE COUNCIL DRAFTED A SCOPING PLAN THAT OUTLINES RECOMMENDED POLICIES AND ACTIONS.

THE 445-PAGE SCOPING PLAN WAS FINALIZED A YEAR LATER AFTER HOLDING 11 PUBLIC HEARINGS THROUGHOUT THE STATE.

DOREEN HARRIS, CO-CHAIR OF THE COUNCIL, SAID THE SCOPING PLAN IS A ROADMAP.

IN MANY WAYS, THAT SCOPING PLAN PROVIDED US WITH A FRAMEWORK TO EXECUTE AGAINST AND CERTAINLY THAT'S WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING AS A STATE.

THE SCOPING PLAN IS WIDELY SUPPORTED BY CLIMATE EXPERTS AND ADVOCATES.

HOWEVER, SOME ADVOCATES WITH THE ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE ALLIANCE SAY THERE ARE SOME THINGS WITHIN THE PLAN THEY DO NOT SUPPORT, SUCH AS ALLOWING THE CONSIDERATION OF A LOW CARBON FUEL STANDARD AND CALLING IT A FALSE SOLUTION TO CLEAN AIR.

THE SCOPING PLAN'S RECOMMENDATIONS INCLUDE REGULATIONS AND PROGRAMS TO HELP THE STATE ACHIEVE ITS EMISSION REDUCTION GOALS.

THE COUNCIL IS REQUIRE PREPARE AND VOTE ON A SCOPING PLAN EVERY FIVE YEARS.

THEY'RE ALSO RESPONSIBLE FOR ASSEMBLING ADVISORY PANELS.

ONE STATE PROGRAM WITHIN THE PLAN CALLED CAP AND INVEST TENDS TO REDUCE GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS BY PUTTING AN ANNUAL CAP ON THE LEVEL OF GREENHOUSE GAS POLLUTION.

JOHN BINDER, DEPUTY COMMISSIONER FOR CLIMATE CHANGE, AIR RESOURCES AND ENERGY AT THE NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION SAID THE PROGRAM WILL PROVIDE A REGULATORY MECHANISM TO ENSURE AND ENFORCE EMISSION REDUCTION.

THERE'S A LEGAL, REGULATORY AND FORCIBLE EMISSIONS CAP THAT GOES DOWN EVERY YEAR.

SO WE WILL BE HAVING THAT CAP GO DOWN ON TRAJECTORY THAT GETS US TOWARDS THAT 40% BY 2030 EMISSION REDUCTION REQUIREMENT AND THE 85% BY 2050 EMISSION REDUCTION REQUIREMENT.

BINDER SAYS THE INVEST SIDE OF THE PROGRAM IS ALSO KEY TO HELPING THE STATE REDUCE EMISSIONS.

WE AUCTION WHAT ARE CALLED EMISSION ALLOWANCES, AND EMISSION ALLOWANCES ARE ESSENTIALLY AN APPROVAL TO ADMIT ONE TON OF EMISSIONS TO THE SOURCE THAT IS SUBJECT TO THIS PROGRAM AND EMITS OVER THE COURSE OF THE YEAR 100,000 TONS OF GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS INTO THE ATMOSPHERE, AND THEY WILL ALSO HAVE TO OBTAIN 100,000 OF THESE EMISSION ALLOWANCES.

BINDER ADDS THE EMISSION ALLOWANCES COULD GENERATE BILLIONS OF DOLLARS FOR THE STATE.

AND WE CAN INVEST THOSE PROCEEDS IN THINGS TO MAKE SURE THAT THE PROGRAM IS IMPLEMENTED IN AN AFFORDABLE MANNER SO THAT WE'RE NOT CREATING A BURDEN ON ENERGY COSTS FOR CONSUMERS, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, YOU CAN ALSO INVEST IN THINGS THAT HELP TO FURTHER TRANSITION THE ECONOMY TO A CLEAN ENERGY ECONOMY.

THE CAP AND INVEST PROGRAM IS ONE OF MANY WAYS THE STATE IS TRYING TO REACH THEIR GOALS.

ANOTHER METHOD IS OFFSHORE WIND TURBINES.

AS PART OF THE STATE'S GOAL TO ESTABLISH ZERO EMISSION ELECTRICITY SYSTEM, THERE'S A SET GOAL TO GENERATE 9,000 MEGAWATTS OF OFFSHORE WIND POWER BY 2035.

OFFSHORE WIND IS ONE OF THE GAME-CHANGING TECHNOLOGIES FOR NEW YORK STATE.

IT HAS, FIRST OF ALL, THE BENEFIT OF A MASSIVE ABILITY TO INJECT RENEWABLES INTO THE NEW YORK CITY AND LONG ISLAND REGION WHERE WE HAVE TROUBLE SITING OTHER TYPES OF RENEWABLE ENERGY.

ITS SCALE CREATES REAL OPPORTUNITIES TO GET AFTER THE DECARBONIZATION OF OUR GRID.

RORY CHRISTIAN, CHAIR OF THE PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION, AGREES SAYING OFFSHORE WIND IS A SIGNIFICANT PART OF THEIR PROGRESS.

OFFSHORE WIND CAN PROVIDE US A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF EMISSIONS-FREE RESOURCES TO OFFSET MUCH OF THE COMBUSTION USED FOR ELECTRIC GENERATIONS TODAY.

SO I SEE IT AS A VERY CRITICAL ASPECT OF OUR OVERALL PROGRAM.

HARRIS SAYS NYSERTA CONTINUES TO BUILD THE OFFSHORE WIND PIPE LINE THROUGH THEIR OFFSHORE WIND PROGRAM.

SHE HIGHLIGHTED ONE COMPLETE PROJECT IN SOUTH FORK AND TWO UNDER CONSTRUCTION EXPECTED TO BE OPERATIONAL BY 2026.

ANOTHER METHOD FOR THE STATE TO ACHIEVE ITS MISSION REDUCTION GOALS IS TARGETING THE TRANSPORTATION AND BUILDING SECTORS AND MOVE THEM AWAY FROM GREENHOUSE GASES.

HARRIS SAYS THIS PROCESS, IN PARTICULAR, IS A BIG UNDERTAKING.

BUILDINGS AND TRANSPORTATION ARE ACTUALLY THE LARGEST SOURCES OF GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS IN OUR STATE, AND THEY'RE IN SOME WAYS THE MOST CHALLENGING TO DECARBONIZE BECAUSE OF THE FACT THAT WE HAVE SEVEN MILLION HOUSEHOLDS ACROSS OUR STATE AND FUNDAMENTALLY, THERE NEEDS TO BE ACTION IN EACH ONE OF THOSE HOUSEHOLDS TO ACHIEVE THESE GOALS.

HARRIS SAYS THE GOOD NEWS IS THERE ARE READILY AVAILABLE TECHNOLOGIES LIKE ELECTRIC VEHICLES.

IN THE LAST TWO YEARS ALONE, ELECTRIC VEHICLE SALES HAVE INCREASED BY OVER 400% IN NEW YORK STATE.

WELL OVER 10% OF SALES AS WE SPEAK.

SO THAT'S A REAL INFLECTION POINT THAT CONSUMERS ARE ADOPTING THESE TECHNOLOGIES EVER MORE SO.

WHILE THE STATE IS MAKING PROGRESS TOWARDS REACHING ITS GOALS, MANY ADVOCATES AND EXPERTS ARGUE THEY ARE FALLING BEHIND.

WHILE THE STATE HAS MET DEADLINES LIKE ESTABLISHING THE SCOPING PLAN, IT HAS MISSED SEVERAL OTHER DEADLINES TO IMPLEMENT PROGRAMS AND REGULATIONS WITH IN THAT PLAN.

THE SCOPING PLAN IN DECEMBER OF 2022, WE HAD THE CAP AND INVEST SHOULD BE FULLY IMPLEMENTED BY THE END OF 2023.

WELL, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ALMOST TWO YEARS LATER.

IT'S STILL TAKING PUBLIC INPUT AND DISCUSSING AND DEBATING.

I THINK THAT'S EXTREMELY DISAPPOINTING.

BUT HOWARD SAYS THE BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT IS THE LACK OF PROGRESS TO TRANSITION THE STATE'S BUILDING SECTOR TO RENEWABLE ENERGY.

IF WE WANT TO REACH THAT 2030 GOAL OF REDUCING STATEWIDE EMISSIONS BY 40%, WE HAVE GOT TO DO THAT FOR THE BUILDING SECTORS OR ELSE THERE'S NO WAY.

ADVOCATES AND CLIMATE EXPERTS AREN'T THE ONLY ONES WHO ARE FRUSTRATED.

SOME REPUBLICAN LAWMAKERS SAY FROM DAY ONE THERE HAS BEEN A LACK OF PROPER PLANNING.

A GOAL IS NOT A PLAN.

THEY LACKED A PLAN SINCE DAY ONE WITH THE CLCPA, WHICH IS EXACTLY WHY THEY'RE NOT GOING TO ACHIEVE ANY OF THESE GOALS.

SOME LEGISLATIVE LEADERS AGREE SAYING IT IS SIMPLY IMPOSSIBLE.

I DON'T SEE ANY WAY TO SAY THAT THIS IS ACHIEVABLE.

I MEAN, I THINK THE SCIENCE AND ANYONE THAT LOOKS AT THIS RATIONALLY WOULD SAY THE SAME THING.

SOME DEMOCRATIC MEMBERS DISAGREE, SAY SENATOR PETE HARKHAM SAYS THE CLIMATE ACTS GOALS ARE AMBITIOUS BUT ACHIEVABLE.

HE ALSO STRESSES THE IMPORTANCE OF CUSHING GREENHOUSE GAS POLLUTION AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

THE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION SAYS THEY ARE WORKING HARD TO IMPLEMENT PROGRAMS AND REGULATIONS BUT THE PUBLIC INPUT PROCESS IS TAKING LONGER THAN EXPECTED.

IN MY COUPLE OF DECADES HERE AT THE AGENCY JUST ABOUT, I NEVER SEEN THIS KIND OF INTENSIVE STAKEHOLDER OUTREACH PROCESS FOR A REGULATORY PROGRAM AND THAT'S A GOOD THING.

OTHER STATE AGENCIES SAY SEVERAL OTHER CHALLENGES HAVE DELAYED THEIR PROGRESS, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT CAME TO LARGE, NEW CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS, INCLUDING THE PANDEMIC, INFLATION, SUPPLY CHAIN CONSTRAINS AND INTEREST RATE CHALLENGES.

THESE ARE ONCE IN A GENERATIONAL EVENTS INDIVIDUALLY, BUT COLLECTIVELY, THEY ARE PARADIGM SHIFTS.

SO WE HAVE TO LOOK AT THE PLANS THAT WE'VE MADE MANY YEARS AGO, UNDERSTAND HOW THE REALITY OF EVENTS TODAY HAVE AFFECTED THOSE PLANS AND MAKE ADJUSTMENTS ACCORDINGLY.

CHRISTIAN ADDS THE AGENCIES ARE WORKING WELL TOGETHER AND THEY ARE MOVING AHEAD WITH SPEED TO MAKE UP FOR LOST TIME.

SOME ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE ADVOCATES ARGUE WHILE AGENCIES ARE DOING WHAT THEY CAN, THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE HAS FAILED.

EUNICE KO, DEPUTY DIRECTOR AT THE NEW YORK CITY ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE ALLIANCE, SAYS STATE AGENCIES NEED STRONG LEADERSHIP TO HELP SHIFT THE STATE TO RENEWABLE AGENCY.

ON THE EXECUTIVE SIDE, WE'VE SEEN A LACK OF URGENCY AND LEADERSHIP COMING FROM GOVERNOR HOCHUL.

PAUL DEMICHELLE, A COMMUNICATIONS REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE GOVERNOR'S RESPONDED SAYING GOVERNOR HOCHUL HAS IMPLEMENTED SOME OF THE NATION'S STRONGEST ACTIONS ON CLIMATE HIGHLIGHTING BUDGETARY AND POLICY MEASURES TO ACCELERATE THE PACE OF CLEAN ENERGY DEVELOPMENT.

THE GOVERNOR ALSO RECENTLY SPOKE AT THE STATE'S ANNUAL CLEAN ENERGY SUMMIT WHICH OUTLINED THE NEXT STEPS TO SUPPORT THE STATE'S PROGRESS TOWARDS ITS EMISSION REDUCTION CLIMATE GOALS.

SO WE HAVE A LOT OF RESPONSIBILITY ON OUR SHOULDERS.

NEW DIDN'T FEEL IT, I JUST PUT IT ON YOURS.

IT'S HEAVY.

IT'S HEAVY.

BUT WE WILL NOT FAIL THE FUTURE.

IT'S NOT AN OPTION.

THIS IS NEW YORK.

WE CAN FIGURE THIS OUT.

THE NEXT STEPS OUTLINED DURING THE SUMMIT INCLUDED ADVANCING THE STATE AGENCY'S ACTION TOWARD SUPPORTING A ZERO EMISSIONS ELECTRICITY SYSTEM AND SOLICITING INDUSTRY FEEDBACK ON ADVANCED NUCLEAR TECHNOLOGIES.

GREG LANCET, PRESIDENT OF THE NEW YORK STATE PIPE TRADE ASSOCIATION WHO ATTENDED THE SUMMIT SAYS NUCLEAR TECHNOLOGIES COULD BE GOOD SOLUTION ON ALTERNATIVE ENERGY THAT COULD HELP THE STATE CATCH UP ON ITS CLIMATE PROGRESS.

THE NEW TECHNOLOGY WITH THE NUCLEAR REACTORS, THEY'RE MUCH SMALLER FOOTPRINTS OF THE TRADITIONAL REACTORS THAT WERE BUILT IN THE '50S, '60S AND '70S.

IT'S A SMALL, COMPACT SOLUTION THAT PROVIDES AMPLE AMOUNTS OF ELECTRICITY IN A VERY HIGH RELIABILITY.

SOME CLIMATE EXPERTS HAVE RESERVATIONS.

IN THE SCOPING PLAN, WE DEBATED NUCLEAR POWER AND WE REALLY DIDN'T SEE MUCH OF A ROLE FOR NEW NUCLEAR POWER BECAUSE IT'S EXPENSIVE AND SLOW TO DEPLOY AND WE CAN MEET THE GOALS MORE CHEAPLY AND MORE QUICKLY WITH WIND, SOLAR, HYDRO, AND APPROPRIATE STORAGE WHILE STATE AGENCIES AND STATE LEADERS DISCUSS THE OPTION OF NUCLEAR POWER, SOME STATE LAWMAKERS HAVE A DIFFERENT SOLUTION TO MEET THE CLIMATE GOALS, EXTEND THE DEADLINE.

REPUBLICAN LAWMAKERS IN THE SENATE RECENTLY INTRODUCED A PACKAGE OF BILLS RELATED TO THE STATE'S CLIMATE GOALS.

ONE BILL WOULD DELAY THE CLIMATE ACT'S MANDATES BY 10 YEARS.

I THINK THE MESSAGE CERTAINLY FROM OUR CONFERENCE AND FROM OUR COLLEAGUES, REPUBLICANS IN THE SENATE, HAS BEEN VERY CLEAR THAT WE NEED TO RELOOK AT THIS, READDRESS IT AND MAYBE SLOW DOWN A BIT AND AGAIN, BRING REALITY BACK INTO THE SITUATION.

WITH A DEMOCRATIC-LED LEGISLATURE, IT'S UNCLEAR IF THESE BILLS WILL MOVE FORWARD WITHOUT SOME LEVEL OF SUPPORT FROM DEMOCRATIC LAWMAKERS.

AND SOME DEMOCRATIC LAWMAKERS SAY WHILE THE GOVERNMENT CAN EXTEND THE DEADLINE, MOTHER NATURE WILL NOT.

KO SAYS THE ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE ALLIANCE CONTINUES TO PUSH STATE LEADERS AND LAWMAKERS TO COMPLY WITH THE CLIMATE ACT THROUGH ORGANIZING AND PUBLIC HEARINGS, LETTER CAMPAIGNS AND RALLIES.

WHILE LEGISLATORS AWAIT UPCOMING LEGISLATIVE SESSION TO HAMMER OUT POLICIES AROUND THIS ISSUE, SOME CLIMATE EXPERTS SAY NEW YORKERS DON'T HAVE TO SOLELY RELY ON THE GOVERNMENT TO DECIDE HOW AND WHEN TO PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT.

YOU CAN'T JUST SAY, OH, YOU KNOW, THIS POLITICIAN IS WORRYING SUFFICIENTLY FOR ME, SO I'M NOT GOING TO WORRY ABOUT IT.

THAT DOESN'T WORK THAT WAY.

IT'S COMMUNITIES THAT REALLY MAKE THESE THINGS WORK.

AND I THINK AS A COMMUNITY, WE NEED TO HAVE THAT KIND OF CONCERN.

FREEDMAN SAYS THERE ARE A LOT OF WAYS INDIVIDUALS CAN REDUCE THEIR CARBON FOOTPRINT FROM PURCHASING AN ELECTRIC VEHICLE AND USING MORE ENERGY-EFFICIENT APPLIANCES TO SIMPLY USING LESS PLASTIC.

THE PLASTICS INDUSTRY IS CURRENTLY RESPONSIBLE FOR FOUR TIMES MORE GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS THAN THE AIRLINE INDUSTRY.

SO WHILE REDUCING PLASTIC POLLUTION MAY SEEM MINIMAL ON AN INDIVIDUAL SCALE, IT CAN STILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

ELISE KLINE, "NEW YORK NOW."

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