It’s Climate Week—Let’s Be Honest about What’s at Stake
Since its inception in 2009, Climate Week has been a fitting opportunity to raise greater awareness and sound the alarm regarding the effects of rising temperatures around the world. This annual event coincides with the meeting of the United Nations General Assembly, where the leaders from foreign countries and major corporations gather to focus on major international concerns and problems—like climate change.
The extra urgency attached to Climate Week this year stems from an increase in catastrophic superstorms and wildfires. Changing weather systems have resulted in unrelenting heatwaves, massive flooding and droughts, crop failures and food shortages around the entire earth. Sea levels are rising, too, thanks to human-caused global warming, putting coastal communities at greater risk—and necessitating costly projects like the $25 million spent raising the roadway at the Annsville Circle near the Hudson River in the Town of Cortlandt.
Here in the U.S., the situation has become more dire with the new administration. Important climate progress that has been made during the past two decades is now being rolled back in Washington, DC. And yet as we face the challenges of this new climate-driven reality, sounding the alarm is not enough. That’s why we realize now that every action we take, every step forward in fighting climate change, is integral to our transition away from our polluting, toxic, greenhouse gas destroying culture.
So, let’s keep up the fight—and acknowledge promising developments when we can, as well as what’s at stake for millions of Americans in terms of jobs and affordability.
We know that electric cars around the world resulted in over one billion barrels a day in less fossil fuel consumption last year.
We know 63 percent of people in a recent poll said they are starting to take climate change impacts into consideration when making decisions like where to live or work and what to buy. Even more want their governments to engage in climate action right now.
Yes, last year was the warmest on record. But over 155 countries have signed a Global Methane Pledge to reduce emissions of this dangerous greenhouse gas while committing $1 billion to support methane reduction projects regarding energy production, agriculture and waste disposal. Remote sensing technologies will help provide transparency and accountability among methane producing industries.
In New York, we are taking important steps forward in climate action. This year, we reached our 2025 distributed solar goal a year ahead of schedule, and we have led the nation in community solar development two years in a row. In 2023, the state passed the All-Electric Buildings Act prohibiting fossil-fuel energy infrastructure in new buildings under seven stories by the end of this year. and in taller buildings later on.
With this momentum in our favor, there is no reason to pull back from these efforts.
On the legislation side, Governor Hochul signed New York’s Climate Change Superfund Act in December 2024, creating a fund to recover billions from major fossil fuel companies to pay for climate adaptation and resilience measures.
Another important measure, the Climate Resilient New York Act will establish an Office of Resilience and a resilience task force to assess and identify climate-related threats and develop a statewide resilience plan.
There are other initiatives we should prioritize as well.
The Accelerate Solar for Affordable Power (ASAP) Act will raise the state’s distributed solar target from 6 GW by 2025 to 20 GW by 2035 and support residential, commercial, and community solar access across New York. Additionally, my parkland alienation solar exception bill will help fast track municipal solar projects under two megawatts over parking lots. Another bill of mine will increase the residential solar tax credit and help New Yorkers who previously could not afford solar to install systems.
Notably, the long-fought for Cap-and-Invest program could help nearly half the households in New York switch over to clean energy heat pumps within 10 years and save untold millions. Moreover, it will spur new investments in clean energy and climate resiliency projects, plus the creation of tens of thousands of good paying green jobs.
Affordability and new jobs: these will be the two hallmarks of our clean energy transition during our current climate crisis. The Climate Risk Disclosure Act and the Climate Corporate Data Accountability Act will get big businesses on board as well in the fight to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions as well.
We see what’s ahead for us if we simply maintain a status quo: a quickly warming plant and its devastating consequences. We will need to initiate more costly projects like the $25 million spent raising the roadway at the flood-prone Annsville Circle in the Town of Cortlandt.
Yes, during this Climate Week, let’s be honest and admit that our fight to decrease greenhouse gas emissions is a fight for our survival on earth.
Pete Harckham represents New York’s 40th Senate District and chairs the Senate Environmental Conservation Committee.
