New York Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (SB 6599)
- Policy Category: Environmental Justice
- State: New York
- Date Implemented: 06/18/2019
New York Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (SB 6599)
Signed into law July 18, 2019
While this bill primarily focuses on New York’s efforts to cut greenhouse gas emissions and to authorize the promulgation of regulations to achieve statewide GHG emission reductions, it also set the state for the cumulative impacts law (SB 8830/AB 2103D).
It defines “disadvantaged communities” as “communities that bear burdens of negative public health effects, environmental pollution, impacts of climate change, and possess certain socioeconomic criteria, or comprise high-concentrations of low- and moderate- income households.” You can read more about subsequent public engagement efforts to identify the state’s disadvantaged communities here.
A 22-member New York State Climate Action Council was established to develop a scoping plan to meet the goals and requirements of the act.
The regulations promulgated by the Department of Environmental Conservation will,
… “Design and implement all regulations in a manner that seeks to be equitable, to minimize costs and to maximize the total benefits to New York, and encourages early action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
b. Ensure that greenhouse gas emissions reductions achieved are real,
permanent, quantifiable, verifiable, and enforceable by the department.
c. Ensure that activities undertaken to comply with the regulations do not result in a net increase in co-pollutant emissions or otherwise disproportionately burden disadvantaged communities as identified pursuant to section 75-0111 of this article.
d. Prioritize measures to maximize net reductions of greenhouse gas
emissions and co-pollutants in disadvantaged communities as identified pursuant to section 75-0111 of this article and encourage early action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and co-pollutants.”
- Action Agency(ies): Department of Environmental Conservation
- Read the full policy language
