Establishes a chief sustainability officer to coordinate efforts across state agencies and other state government entities to address climate change mitigation and climate sustainability efforts.
Requires climate change instruction within the current established science curriculum; requires such instruction be taught in grades one through twelve.
Enacts the climate and community investment act; prioritizes the allocation of public investments in disadvantaged communities; addresses climate change challenges through the expansion and growth of clean and renewable energy sources; adopts best value requirements for the solicitation, evaluation and award of renewable energy projects; establishes a community just transition program; establishes a climate pollution fee and a household and small business energy rebate; creates the climate and community investment authority.
Requires that public schools provide instruction on climate change, including but not limited to identifying the causes and impacts of climate change on individuals, environments and communities, and learning to evaluate solutions.
Establishes a Green New Deal for New York task force; requires such task force to develop a detailed statewide, industrial, economic mobilization plan for the transition of the New York economy to become greenhouse gas emissions neutral by 2030 and to significantly draw down greenhouse gases from the atmosphere and oceans and to promote economic and environmental justice and equality.
This bill prohibits businesses from making deceptive environmental marketing claims, affecting companies that advertise products or services with environmental benefits. It bans misleading practices like "paltering" (selectively highlighting truthful details to create false impressions) and deceptive "net zero" claims that lack transparency about emissions coverage or rely heavily on offsets. Businesses must clearly specify all emissions scopes, distinguish between actual reductions and offset purchases, and substantiate claims. The law also allows consumers or authorities to pursue legal action without proving financial harm from these deceptive practices.
Establishes the "clean fuel standard of 2026"; provides such standard is intended to reduce greenhouse gas intensity from the on-road transportation sector, with further reductions to be implemented based upon advances in technology.
This bill establishes a price for carbon dioxide emissions from electricity generated using fossil fuels (like coal or natural gas) and creates a fund to collect revenues from this price. It directly affects electricity generators using carbon-based fuels, requiring them to pay a fee based on the social cost of carbon. The fund's revenues will be distributed as tax credits to low- and moderate-income residents (those earning below 115% of area median income) and used to support renewable energy transitions in disadvantaged communities. The bill aims to advance New York’s climate goals by incorporating carbon pricing into electricity markets while directing funds toward climate equity.
S 4799 creates a legal right for New Yorkers to sue fossil fuel companies that contributed to climate change through their activities. It applies to companies that emitted at least one billion metric tons of greenhouse gases from 1989 until the bill's effective date, excluding public utilities and government entities. The bill establishes new provisions in state law, including definitions and a "right of action," to enable lawsuits for climate-related damages like health impacts and property loss. This would allow individuals and communities to seek compensation for harms directly linked to fossil fuel emissions.
Establishes the carbon farming certification committee for the purpose of developing a certification framework, determining qualified carbon removal practices eligible for the carbon farming tax credit, and promulgating certification standards for qualified carbon removal practices; provides for the development of educational materials to encourage carbon farming by promoting farming practices which reduce, sequester and mitigate greenhouse gas emissions on land used in support of a farm operation; establishes carbon farming tax credits.
