A recent decision by the New York State Supreme Court ordered the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) to issue rules and regulations to comply with greenhouse gas emissions limits established by the state’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA). The ruling addressed a petition brought by several nonprofits; in June, Save the Sound, Riverkeeper and Environmental Defense Fund submitted an amicus or “friend of the court” brief in support of the petition.
The CLCPA, enacted in 2019, requires a reduction of GHG emissions to 60% of 1990 levels by 2030 and down to 15% by 2050. DEC now has until Feb. 6, 2026, to issue its regulations, which were originally due to be released on Jan. 1, 2024.
“The ruling that DEC must release its long-overdue regulations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions is a major victory in the fight for climate justice in New York,” said Dara Illowsky, New York staff attorney for Save the Sound. “Our amicus brief explained how DEC’s existing rules and regulations inexcusably fail to ensure compliance with mandated emissions limits, and the Court agreed. The burdens claimed by DEC to be impeding its release of these regulations are vastly outweighed by the catastrophic threat of climate change facing all New Yorkers.”
Save the Sound leads environmental action across the Long Island Sound region to protect the Sound and its rivers, fight climate change, save endangered lands and work with nature to restore ecosystems. More info at savethesound.org.
