New York’s Environmental Policies: Challenges and Impacts of Climate Leadership Act and Local Law 97
Introduction
Protecting the environment and reducing the negative impact of human activities on nature is a severe challenge of modern times. The US government is taking various measures to solve this problem, including passing bills to reduce human pollution. However, when analyzing environmental policies, multiple factors must be considered, including their feasibility, effectiveness, and costs (Kraft & Furlong, 2021). Program evaluation results not only affect its ability to be implemented but also determine the extent of its possible positive impact.
The Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act
One example of an environmental protection program is the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act. The bill was passed in 2019 in New York State, and the Climate Action Council (CAC) approved its final scoping plan for its implementation (New York State Climate Action Council, 2022). According to this policy, by 2050, New York will become a state with zero carbon emissions.
This law applies to individual members of society, businesses, and enterprises that must adhere to sustainability principles. The policy calls for some significant changes “to the way New Yorkers heat homes and buildings, power their business operations, use and develop land, and move about the state” (Trimarchi et al., 2022, para. 5). In general, the program can potentially be effective. Still, its implementation is remarkably aggressive and requires large amounts of funding.
The Climate Action Council has made several recommendations for following the policy presented. These recommendations include the massive investment needed to electrify and decarbonize the state (New York State Climate Action Council, 2022). The program implies a complete rejection of using materials and fossil fuels that can harm the environment. At the same time, the issue of policy financing causes the most significant number of questions and disputes.
The Act emphasizes the necessity of developing electrical infrastructure and electrifying all buildings in the state. In addition, the Climate Action Council recommends that all New Yorkers change their vehicles to electric ones (New York State Climate Action Council, 2022). It requires considerable investments at the federal and state levels and private funding from citizens, which can cause public dissent.
New York’s Local Law 97
Another law created to protect New York’s environment is Local Law 97. The bill aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from buildings, which today produce about two-thirds of their total (Local Law 97, n. d.). The law is quite ambitious and involves the conversion of all buildings to an electric heating system. However, it should be considered that implementing this policy requires significant investments.
According to Rosen et al. (2022), the cost of complete electrification of a single-family house ranges from $17,400 to $31,700, and for a multifamily, these figures are almost twice as much. Considering the number of households needing refurbishment and the new houses being built, implementing this policy requires much funding. Seeking funding for the bill could lead to higher taxes and reduced funding for other industries (Kraft & Furlong, 2021). It, in turn, can create negative public sentiment and undermine confidence in the government.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act can potentially positively impact environmental protection, but its effectiveness is not a decisive factor in this case. When analyzing this policy, its feasibility and costs are the main aspects. Compliance with the recommendations proposed by the CAC requires much funding, not only from the state budget but also from New Yorkers.
In addition, the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act is being implemented simultaneously with other programs, such as Local Law 97, which also requires funding. Therefore, when implementing environmental policies, it is necessary to consider their effectiveness and other factors that affect the possibility of their implementation.
References
Kraft, M. E., & Furlong, S. R. (2021). Public policy: Politics, analysis, and alternatives (7th ed.). CQ Press.
Local Law 97. (n. d.). NYC Sustainable Buildings. Web.
New York State Climate Action Council finalizes scoping plan to advance nation-leading climate law. (2022). New York State. Web.
Rosen, K. T., Bank, D., Hall, M., Chernikova, I., & Reed, S. (2022). New York building electrification and decarbonization costs. Web.
Trimarchi, P. C., Stanton, D. P., & Lobe, S. (2020). The impact of New York’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act. Bloomberg Law. Web.