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New York softened its climate law
New York softened the climate law it had adopted. The emission target was postponed to 2040, the weight of natural gas in the calculation was reduced, and a new carbon syste...
New York became the first state to soften the mandatory climate law enacted by its legislature. The amendment was adopted at the request of Governor Kathy Hochul and gave the state an additional ten years to reach its emission targets.
The 2019 law required New York to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 40% from 1990 levels before 2030. However, as the state lagged behind especially in reducing its dependence on natural gas, the law text was rewritten to meet the target.
Highlights
- New York was recorded as the first state to weaken the climate law.
- The new regulation moves the emission target to a 60% reduction by 2040.
- The start of the "cap-and-invest" system was also postponed to 2028.
- The weight of natural gas in emission accounting was reduced.
- The changes were defended against rising bills and fuel costs.
Target postponed, calculation changed
The new budget agreement set the state's goal to reduce emissions by 60% by 2040. This means a longer-term schedule replacing the previous 2030 target.
Also, the entry date of the "cap-and-invest" system, which plans to collect fees from polluters and channel this revenue to climate projects, was moved to 2028. The system was designed to cover power plants, oil terminals, and similar sources.
The law amendment not only extended the period but also changed the accounting method. New York will no longer count the pollution from fossil fuels imported from outside as heavily as before during the production phase.
This change will instantly reduce the state's paper emissions by about 15% due to its reliance on natural gas imports. Under the previous system, methane leaking from gas fields in other states like Pennsylvania was also counted as New York's emissions.
Methane accounting also changed
The old system gave methane a high weight based on its 20-year warming effect. The new system will use a 100-year framework. This will especially reduce the share of livestock and landfill areas.
Although methane causes a much faster warming effect than carbon dioxide, it remains in the atmosphere for a shorter time. The new accounting method aligns with international standards that many scientists argue better reflect long-term warming.
However, despite the regulation, New York no longer has a chance to meet its old 2030 target. The state has not made sufficient progress especially in emissions from cars, electricity generation, and residential sources.
Natural gas provides about half of the state's electricity. Almost all large apartment buildings in New York City and its suburbs also use natural gas for heating. Therefore, the state's complete exit from fossil fuels requires converting thousands of buildings to electric systems.
Between bills and politics
Hochul defended the changes as protection against rising living costs. She said the emission targets set by court order were challenging under current conditions and that heavy tax and price pressure would strain household budgets.
Some lawmakers and environmental advocates supporting the climate law stated that the change was imposed without giving them sufficient opportunity for discussion. Opponents say the process marks a shift in New York's climate policy.
On the other hand, some experts believe that legal targets have already become extremely difficult due to the slowing national and global energy transition. Al McGartland, a former environmental economist, said that meeting the target has become harder due to economic trends but the change could buy time to look at the issue more carefully.
Context: With the climate law adopted in 2019, New York set one of the most ambitious emission reduction targets in the US. The recent change shows that the state has moved away from the previous schedule to reach this target and entered a looser period in climate policy.
The state's biggest problem is its inability to grow clean electricity production fast enough. Emission-free sources like wind and solar need to replace natural gas plants, but accelerating infrastructure and investment processes seems essential.
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