New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced plans to roll back parts of the state's Climate Act, which established aggressive targets for reducing greenhouse gas pollution. The law currently requires a 40 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and an 85 percent decline by 2050, using 1990 as a baseline.
The Climate Act represents one of the most ambitious state-level emission reduction commitments in the United States. The proposed delays could affect New York's ability to meet its legally binding targets, potentially allowing millions of additional tonnes of CO2 equivalent to remain in the atmosphere compared to the original timeline.