Ahead of Earth Week, Lander Rolls Out Only Comprehensive Plan to Protect NYC from Climate Change
Lander’s plan will result in: (I) Clean, affordable energy for homeowners and renters; (II) Climate-ready neighborhoods; and (III) Economic opportunity through green jobs and reliable transit
Watch the recorded press conference here
NEW YORK, NY — Ahead of Earth Week, Brad Lander stood atop Brooklyn SolarWorks today flanked by advocates and business leaders to announce the most comprehensive plan for New York City’s climate future in the mayoral race.
As Mayor, Lander will better equip NYC for the ongoing climate crisis by reducing NYC’s carbon emissions; ensuring homeowners and renters alike have access to clean, affordable energy; preparing New Yorkers for global warming's inevitable effects by building more resilient neighborhoods; and creating economic opportunities through green jobs and reliable transit. Read the plan here.
“For New Yorkers, climate change is not a distant threat: it’s here, reshaping all of our lives, often making them more difficult and more expensive. Every heavy rain, we see viral videos of our subways and streets being flooded; our home insurance rates make ownership unaffordable, and the health of our children who live near high traffic areas suffers,” said Brad Lander. “We desperately need an aggressively pro-climate mayor, and I’m proud that my background — making NYC the only major pension fund in the country to divest from fossil fuels and adopting the boldest net zero by 2040 plan — speaks for itself.”
"We commend Brad Lander for putting forth a comprehensive climate policy that recognizes the critical role of renewable energy in our city's future,” said T.R. Ludwig, CEO of Brooklyn SolarWorks. “We hope his initiative inspires all candidates to prioritize expanding New York’s climate policies and incentives, such as the solar tax credit, to ensure a sustainable and equitable energy transition for our communities."
Lander’s climate plan includes:
I. Clean, Affordable Energy and Resilience for our Homes
Make 600 megawatts of rooftop solar energy accessible and affordable to over 150,000 households within eight years, through Brad’s innovative Public Solar NYC initiative and other strategies.
Accelerate LL97 compliance by helping 350,000 households adopt clean energy or shift away from fossil fuels usage in their homes by 2030 – including rooftop solar, high-impact efficiency measures, and lower-carbon heating and cooling such as high efficiency heat pumps.
Generate reliable power, with fewer outages, by expanding clean, resilient energy sources, including safely expanding battery storage for renewable energy.
Provide property owners with a strong incentive to contribute to NYC’s resilience by negotiating for lower insurance premiums for implementing storm protection efforts and championing expanded state residential solar tax credits.
II. Climate-Ready Neighborhoods
Fix parks now: reduce repair backlogs by 50%, make playgrounds safer in extreme heat.
Keep Us Cool: Plant and care for 1 million more trees across NYC and expand access to beaches and pools—because staying cool shouldn’t feel like going through airport security.
Improve the school learning environment for students while contributing to climate resilience by electrifying school buses and installing 5 million square feet of solar or green roofs on schools and other City properties.
Strengthen City leadership, management and coordination by creating a comprehensive, future-ready Citywide Climate Strategy, implementing smart cost containment measures and reforming how we design and deliver capital projects.
Invest in community resilience and recovery by establishing a “Right to Cooling”, creating Neighborhood Resilience Hubs, supporting and funding community organizations to play critical roles.
III. Economic Opportunity Through Green Jobs and Reliable Transit
Create 13,000 additional Public Solar high-quality green jobs.
Build a skilled workforce trained to install a new generation of low-emission, health-enhancing heating and cooling equipment through partnerships with contractor associations and vocational schools.
Creating reliable, convenient commutes by cutting bus and train wait times and maintaining congestion pricing.
As Comptroller, Lander led NYC’s pension funds to fully divest from fossil fuels—the only major U.S. system to do so—and adopted a bold net-zero emissions plan for 2040, which is already ahead of schedule. He ended investments in upstream fossil fuel infrastructure. Brad’s shareholder advocacy won significant fossil fuel financing disclosure from major U.S. banks for the first time, and has pushed the pension funds’ portfolio companies and asset m
III. Economic Opportunity Through Green Jobs and Reliable Transit
Create 13,000 additional Public Solar high-quality green jobs.
Build a skilled workforce trained to install a new generation of low-emission, health-enhancing heating and cooling equipment through partnerships with contractor associations and vocational schools.
Creating reliable, convenient commutes by cutting bus and train wait times and maintaining congestion pricing.anagers toward sustainability, making NYC a recognized global leader in climate-conscious investing. Brad has long advocated for congestion pricing as a City Council member and as Comptroller, and led a lawsuit over the illegal program pause by Albany last summer.
As a Council Member, Lander drove key initiatives like reducing plastic bag use and banning single use styrofoam products and improved management of climate-resilient infrastructure projects. He led the campaign that secured air-conditioning in all NYC school classrooms Drawing from his experience organizing resident response after Superstorm Sandy, he’s ready to lead the large-scale mobilization needed to protect New Yorkers from climate threats—on time and on budget. Lander’s track record demonstrates his ability to drive meaningful change, this will ensure both environmental protection and financial security for New Yorkers.
Read the plan here.
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