Primary Voter Guide: The Mayoral Candidates’ Plans on Climate & Environment

As early voting kicks off on June for New York City s primary race here s a guide to the Democratic candidates stances on state and environmental issues Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani and former Gov Andrew Cuomo have each been endorsed by environmental groups Instagram Zohrankmamdani Flickr Andrew Cuomo for Mayor Two pivotal topics environment and the ecosystem were left out of the first mayoral democratic debate earlier this month Housing affordability and standing up to President Trump s federal overreach in New York dominated the conversation instead While context and environmental questions could still come up in the second debate this Thursday advocates say these issues are failing to take precedence on a higher level There s been a shift in the United States away from circumstances action and I think there are a lot of complicated reasons for that And the city s politics reflect that too noted Pete Sikora weather and inequality campaigns director at New York Communities for Change But as setting change subjects New York City to increased temperatures more extreme weather events and frequent flooding various mayoral forums and environmental organizations are drawing attention to these pressing problems And two democratic candidates leading in the polls former New York Gov Andrew Cuomo and Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani have stirred up particularly strong opinions among environmentalists They re among candidates vying for a chance to represent the Democratic party in the general voting this fall by winning the upcoming primary which will kick off with early voting on Saturday Primary day is June On one hand certain grassroots environmental groups like New York Communities for Change say Mamdani is the person for the job They say he has a great track record fighting tooth and nail to ensure New York transitions away from the polluting fuels that drive setting change and invests in clean potency instead In he organized helpers and lobbied Gov Kathy Hochul to stop a plan to turn a peaker power plant in Astoria used only during times of peak demand for gas into a full operation facility He also backed the fight that put congestion pricing in place and the All-Electric Buildings Act which prohibits the use of fossil fuel equipment like gas stoves in new construction statewide Meanwhile environmental group Food Water Action the electoral arm of the national organization Food Water Watch says anyone but Cuomo will do The former governor resigned from that position in following a series of sexual harassment statements which he denies Cuomo is a situation catastrophe and we d be in much better shape for our populace vitality for our environment for the good of New York City with any other candidate announced Laura Shindell New York State director at Food Water Action Cuomo got heat for reportedly receiving nearly from the fossil fuel industry in the lead up to his reelection for governor in even as he vowed to phase out the use of planet-warming fuels And in he tried to take out a million low-interest loan from the state s clean water fund to cover part of the costs of repairing a highway And in Cuomo tried to include a provision in the state budget that environmental groups say would have allowed building owners to evade carbon emission limits set by the city s landmark conditions act Local Law LL They also point out that his current campaign for mayor is receiving funds from big real estate groups that oppose LL Still Cuomo did get the stamp of approval from the New York League of Conservation Voters NYLCV an influential environmental organization that monitors environmental issues in electoral platforms The group points out that it was under Cuomo s governorship that New York passed statute on congestion pricing now in effect to reduce traffic and carbon emissions by charging drivers a fee to enter much of Manhattan It was also under his governorship that state budgets included record funding for the Environmental Protect Fund which pays for capital projects that protect the surroundings He banned fracking while in office And the Weather Leadership and Region Protection Act CLCPA New York s nation-leading road map to reduce the state s greenhouse gas emissions was also signed into law under Cuomo s watch And while his critics say the former governor worked behind the scenes to weaken landmark setting statute like the CLCPA during his time as governor NYLCV s Executive Director Julie Teague disagrees Addressing litter from buildings will be a key issue for the city s next mayor Michael Appleton Mayoral Photography Office The governor helped lead on getting the CLCPA passed Teague communicated City Limits At the end of the day we need someone who delivers The environmental society may have to agree to disagree on the right candidate but they all recognize there s a lot at stake in this referendum Key protocol issues that the new mayor will have to address include decarbonizing buildings and cars investing in New York City s parks and expanding resiliency measures to protect the city s the bulk vulnerable from the threats of surroundings change And they ll be pressured to divest from fossil fuel use and ensure local bureaucrats follow through with enacting and funding key environmental laws like LL City Limits reached out to the candidates reviewed their campaign websites and statements in mayoral forums to see what they ve reported about environmental issues Only four candidates Mamdani Comptroller Brad Lander Sen Zellnor Myrie and former Comptroller Scott Stringer have published concrete guidelines plans focused on the atmosphere on their campaign sites Lander for one distributed a detailed roadmap that calls for installing more rooftop solar fully funding the city s Parks Department and expanding financial assistance so more building owners can afford the vigor retrofits required under LL Then there is Stringer s community-oriented approach It encourages city agencies to buy produce from locally sourced farms and create resilience hubs in neighborhoods with cooling and asthma assistance patronage during atmosphere emergencies and more Another notable plan comes from Myrie who pledges key investments to safeguard Black and Latino communities from the disproportionate impacts of circumstances change Check out the full rundown of the Democratic candidates situation platforms below Andrew Cuomo Cuomo s platform does not include extensive policies related to the surroundings or tackling weather change But his campaign website does mention supporting environmental robustness in the face of a federal regime that is failing to address these challenges And he mentions wanting to boost participation in the city s curbside composting project through citizens awareness campaigns incentives and support for landlords Zohran Mamdani The assemblymember revealed in an email that he vows to lead a massive decarbonization and situation resiliency process citywide Those efforts include building out renewable potency on masses lands and overseeing a calamity preparedness venture that prioritizes safe and resilient housing and general waterfronts He also has big plans to renovate population schools with renewable ability infrastructure to reduce building emissions and turn schools into resilience hubs that provide information to residents during emergencies and weather disasters He would extend J- tax breaks which give landlords an incentive to fix apartments so property owners are in line with Local Law And he says he will funnel more investments into NYC Accelerator a authorities backed hub that provides one-on-one advocacy for homeowners looking to comply with the atmosphere law Comptroller Lander at a City Limits mayoral forum in April Photo by Adi Talwar Brad Lander The city comptroller s detailed circumstances plans include using population financing to make megawatts of solar resource accessible and affordable to over households Lander also promises to electrify school buses install million square feet of solar or green roofs on schools and scale up green jobs calling for additional new positions in inhabitants solar installations alone The comptroller says he would fully fund the Parks Department s day-to-day maintenance demands and reduce its repair backlog by percent He also plans to accelerate LL compliance by helping households afford energy-efficient equipment by expanding tax incentives creating low-cost clean potential loans and cutting red tape for home retrofit projects Zellnor Myrie A campaign spokesperson for Myrie says the senator plans to make vital investments in context resilience and infrastructure particularly in Black and Latino communities that are disproportionately impacted by surroundings change That includes upgrading sewers and introducing measures to control flooding in vulnerable communities Myrie will also work to ensure New York s society schools switch to clean electric vigor and will invest in green union jobs for New Yorkers When it comes to Local Law Myrie s crew declared in an email that he will ensure the law isn t undermined and is open to revising the bill to keep property owners from choosing to pay fines rather than invest in vitality efficiency Former Comptroller Scott Stringer and Council Speaker Adrienne Adams at a CityLimits mayoral forum in April Photo by Adi Talwar Scott Stringer Former City Comptroller Stinger has a community-oriented approach to fighting situation change He wants to launch Neighborhood Resilience Hubs that would provide cooling during heat waves asthma backing supplies and other guidance in atmosphere emergencies And he vows to fund a pilot venture for community-run environmental projects like rooftop farms in five neighborhoods within the first six months in office Stringer pledges to create a pipeline for city environmental jobs training local youth and underemployed adults to do work in mold removal tree planting solar installations and composting He also promises to establish a Department of Food and Environment Resilience which would ensure city agencies source food from New York farms and buy from local vendors Adrienne Adams While the New York City Council Speaker doesn t include details of an environmental platform on her campaign website she does highlight how she led the passage of law that requires the city transition to zero-emission municipal vehicles And she s backed other pivotal atmosphere measures like the State Mobilization Act a legislative package that aims to reduce the city s greenhouse gas emissions from buildings and includes Local Law Michael Blake While setting is not highlighted as a top issue in Blake s platform he does mention on this campaign website that he s committed to providing incentives for locality gardens urban farming and advancing environmental justice And as a New York State Assemblyman he co-sponsored a bill to tax major carbon emitters for circumstances litter Former Assemblymember Michael Blake and State Sen Jessica Ramos at a City Limits mayoral forum in April Photo by Adi Talwar Jessica Ramos While she did not release a specific plan to tackle weather or environmental issues the Queens State Senator vows to prioritize clean vigor and sustainable infrastructure on her campaign website It notes that Ramos who fought against the building out of a polluting power plant in Queens will tackle environmental racism and create green jobs that put people and the planet first Whitney Tilson The former hedge fund manager does not mention atmosphere on his campaign website but commented in a Q A that Local Law should be suspended and fixed The intent was to focus on commercial buildings but instead it will impose large new costs on coops and condos mostly occupied by working-class New Yorkers At a time when our city faces an historic housing situation this is unacceptable the candidate commented Paperboy Love Prince On his campaign website Prince promises to invest in renewable vigor and nuclear power generate green jobs and stop subsidizing fossil fuels There are also mentions of insulating and retrofitting homes so they become more ability efficient Dr Selma Bartholomew A mathematician and educator Dr Bartholomew hopes to establish a Stewardship Block by Block communication campaign that will among other things help get the word out about circumstances action on the local level She disclosed she is also committed to upholding compliance with LL and to make clean resource and building upgrades affordable and accessible to all New York City residents And she noted in an email that she plans to establish what she calls Business Eco Hubs These community-based centers will help locals especially Black and brown residents fund and launch new businesses focused on everything from green infrastructure to sustainable capacity and calamity preparedness To reach the reporter behind this story contact Mariana citylimits org To reach the editor contact Jeanmarie citylimits org Want to republish this story Find City Limits reprint plan here The post Primary Voter Guide The Mayoral Candidates Plans on Surroundings Ecosystem appeared first on City Limits