Testimony by Chief Climate Officer Louise Yeung on the Draft Scoping Plan for the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act

My name is Louise Yeung, the first Chief Climate Officer to serve at the NYC Office of the Comptroller, testifying on behalf of Comptroller Brad Lander.  

Our office takes a long-term view in managing risks facing the city, including the climate risks that threaten our physical, social, and financial future. 

The Climate Action Council (CAC) analysis shows us that a just transition is achievable if we act ambitiously, urgently, and collectively.  

The Comptroller’s Office supports a full and rapid transition off fossil fuels to a net zero emissions grid by 2040, sustainable transportation and waste sectors, and accessible pathways to good jobs in the green economy. 

We can start with a moratorium on new fossil fuel infrastructure and by retiring the Ravenswood and Astoria NRG gas power plants. We should pair this with significant investments in proven renewable solutions, like wind, solar, heat pumps, and battery storage. The scoping plan must prioritize end-user electrification for low-income and environmental justice communities without jeopardizing energy affordability, by committing resources to building and appliance retrofits to ensure a just and equitable transition for all New Yorkers.  

We want to see a more detailed roadmap toward electrified and sustainable transportation that makes mass transit, biking, and walking safer and more accessible. We can ramp up EV adoption by strategically leveraging federal infrastructure dollars, removing regulatory barriers, and creating financial incentives to increase EV readiness.  

We support stronger producer packaging responsibilities that reduce waste going into our landfills, along with commitments to fully resourcing composting and recycling programs – including expanding organics collection in NYC, not reducing it.   

Our proposal for a new Public Solar NYC program is one way we can put that into practice here in NYC, that leverages innovative public financing to ramp up 600 MW of solar across NYC rooftops while establishing good labor standards in a non-unionized sector of the green economy.  

The CAC’s analysis shows that ambitious climate action is financially and economically prudent: these mitigation strategies are estimated to create 189,000 jobs and save New Yorkers $90-$120 billion compared to the cost of inaction.  

We cannot squander this moment. The final scoping plan will guide our climate priorities and investments for decades to come. This is the time for us to be ambitious and fully commit to a just transition to a clean energy future. 

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