Albany, NY – Upon the passage of the Climate and Community Protection Act, which has previously passed the Assembly in each of the past three years, Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz issued the following statement:

“Every generation seems to have one preeminent challenge that defines their relationship with the world around them. For this generation, that challenge is climate change. It is beyond irresponsible that we have allowed our climate to descend into the horrifying state that it is already in, and it is our obligation – not as legislators, but as moral human beings – to correct this blatant disaster that will be passed onto our children and grandchildren.

For the fourth year in a row, I am incredibly proud to vote in favor of taking substantial and significant action to combat climate change and to establish New York State as a global leader in how we can transform our economy to save our planet. The Assembly has long been the leading voice demanding action on climate change, and it is through the incredible persistence of my colleagues and our Speaker that we have established the most monumental and aggressive action on climate change in the world outside of the Paris Agreement.

This bill is not the end by any means. We will have to continue working hard, together with private industry and individual consumers, to meet the lofty goals that have been established. It won’t be easy to achieve net zero emissions by 2040, but it also wasn’t easy to land a man on the moon. I believe we can accomplish the goals espoused in this legislation and in the process transform our economy into one that leads the world in green technology, green jobs, and a cleaner environment.”