Environmental groups in New York are suing the state for delays in enforcing its climate laws, specifically the 2019 Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA). The complaint argues that the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has failed to release crucial emissions rules critical to cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 40% by 2030 and achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. The lawsuit points out the neglect toward disadvantaged populations suffering from air pollution while highlighting the DEC's failure to meet established deadlines, raising concerns about accountability and transparency in climate governance.
Four environmental and climate justice groups filed a lawsuit Monday in a state court, claiming that New York is "stonewalling necessary climate action in outright violation" of its legal obligations.
New York has yet to issue even draft rules, and it's becoming less and less clear that it intends to do so, even though... Gov. Kathy Hochul's administration promised that it was working on them as quickly as possible.
The lawsuit centers on rules for cap and invest, an economy-wide carbon pricing program that Hochul has been promising since 2023.
By not releasing economy-wide emissions rules, the suit alleges, the state Department of Environmental Conservation, or DEC, is "defying the Legislature's clear directive" and "prolonging New Yorkers' exposure to air pollution ... especially in disadvantaged communities."
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