ALBANY, New York — Gov. Kathy Hochul is backing measures that would weaken the strict deadlines for implementing New York’s landmark climate law and make the targets easier to meet.
Hochul has formally proposed changing the way the 2019 Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act calculates New York’s emissions, effectively requiring less aggressive reductions, according to three people familiar with the proposal who were granted anonymity to discuss the ongoing negotiations.
The governor has also proposed delaying the timeline to establish regulations to achieve the goals — which is the subject of ongoing litigation — to 2030, while keeping the law’s emissions deadlines intact.
“The undeniable fact is we cannot meet the Climate Act’s 2030 targets without imposing new and additional crushing costs on New York businesses and residents,” Hochul wrote in an opinion pieceoutlining her proposal in the Empire Report.
