NOTE: Due to technical difficulties, parts of this program were unable to be recorded. We apologize for the inconvenience.

In 2019, New York passed its landmark climate law, the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (Climate Act)—still one of the strongest climate laws in the nation. Where are we now and what is needed to achieve the CLCPA’s carbon reduction targets and achieve equitable economic benefits?

Successful implementation will require a combination of policy leadership and thoughtful investment in entrepreneurs, local innovators and the developing workforce. Although New York already ranks third in the nation for clean energy jobs, the Empire State has only scratched the surface when it comes to its potential in the clean energy economy, and sharing the benefits with all New Yorkers.

For the state to meet this moment—possibly the largest economic opportunity since the Industrial Revolution—we must come together.

This event, part of Climate Week NYC, included a welcome address from Anne Reynolds – Executive Director, Alliance for Clean Energy New York (ACE NY), Keynote address by Assemblymember Khaleel Anderson – Assembly District 31. A Clean Energy Accelerators & Entrepreneurs Solutions Showcase featuring Cassie Schuttrumpf – Program Manager, Venture for Climate Tech, Daniel Cohen – Founder, UCharge, David Goldstein – Founder & CEO, Hydronic Shell Technologies, Jose Porro – Founder & CEO, Cobalt Water. And a Career Pathways & Workforce Development Panel moderated by Uchenna Bright – Northeast Advocate, E2 featuring Charles Callaway – Director of Workforce Development, WE ACT for Environmental Justice, Carter Strickland – Chief Sustainability Officer & Executive Director of Climate Action, SUNY, Tonya Gayle – Executive Director, Green City Force and Vincent Albanese – Director of Policy & Public Affairs, LiUNA.

Please note that, due to technical difficulties, we removed several inaudible portions of the recording. Quality issues remain and some portions of the recording may still require increased volume or using subtitles while watching. We sincerely apologize for this inconvenience and will strive to do better for next year’s event.

The NYS Climate Action Council has released, for public comment, a much-awaited draft plan to implement New York’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA), the most ambitious climate law in the country. Join us for a Zoom presentation and Q&A with Jen Metzger, who will give us an overview of the plan and issues and recommendations that are important for communities to know about and weigh in on. She will also highlight actions that state and local governments need to begin taking now if New York is to reach its emissions targets.

Jen served in the State Senate in 2019-2020, where she was a leading voice for action to tackle climate change and move away from reliance on fossil fuels. She was an active member of the Senate’s workgroup on the CLCPA, passed in 2019, and she led efforts in the State Legislature to create a permanent ban on fracking, passed as part of the budget in 2020.

Prior to her election to the State Senate, Jen served for over a decade in local government in the Town of Rosendale, and co-founded and directed Citizens for Local Power, an organization dedicated to helping communities shift to an equitable, locally-based clean energy economy. She is currently Senior Policy Advisor to New Yorkers for Clean Power, and also serves on the NYS Cannabis Control Board, which is charged with creating a framework for cannabis policy grounded in public health, equity, restorative justice, and sustainability. She has a PhD in political science, with a specialization in environmental politics and policy.

This event is brought to you through the combined efforts of the New York State Climate Reality Project Coalition, Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, Riverkeeper, Sierra Club Atlantic Chapter, New Yorkers for Clean Power, and Scenic Hudson.