On Monday, four influential trade and labor organizations said in a joint statement agreeing on the direction the state’s climate change policies should take as officials develop a plan for the energy transition. from New York to more renewable and cleaner forms of fuel in the decades to come.
The groups – The Independent Power Producers of New York, The Business of New York State, the AFL-CIO of New York State and the New York State Building & Construction Trades Council – in a rare joint statement called for seven principles to guide the process and address “gaps” in the current version of a draft plan being reviewed by the state’s Climate Action Council.
Broadly, the groups called for safe and reliable energy infrastructure, maintaining and developing it, communicating the effects on energy consumers and businesses, creating union jobs, using markets to to achieve decarbonisation, to reduce emissions in all sectors and to support “diversity of fuels”. ”
“Businesses and workers share a common goal of ensuring that energy and environmental policies are developed to maximize economic opportunities in the state, resulting from our significant investments in energy technologies and the modernization of facilities and services. buildings, while avoiding actions that damage economic activity, jobs, or emissions from the state,” said Heather Briccetti, President of the Business Council. “As we move toward a 100% zero-emission power generation fleet and a net-zero carbon economy, we must also maintain a reliable energy system, be open and honest about the cost and benefits of compliance options, and retain all reasonable options on the table.”
The proposals underscore the huge stakes for jobs, public services and businesses in New York as the climate change plan is being discussed and negotiated in the coming months. A final draft plan is expected in January.
The decades-long transition is set to remake how New Yorkers get their energy and power their cars, homes and businesses to reduce the effects of burning carbon-based fuels.
“Addressing climate change while protecting workers is a top priority for the labor movement,” said New York State AFL-CIO President Mario Cilento. “We are committed to being a leader in this fight and look forward to working with our diverse partners to find solutions that will achieve the state’s ambitious clean energy goals while creating and retaining high-quality unionized jobs. To do this, we must use every avenue we can with every option on the table. None of this will be easy, but by working together, we can seize this opportunity to fight against climate change, investing in our workforce and achieving our climate goals for future generations.
