Dear Governor Hochul,

In your 2025 State of the State speech, and countless times since then, you’ve told New Yorkers, “Your family is my fight.” We take this to mean you are committed to our children’s health, safety, and well-being, and to doing all you can to ensure they have a bright future. It’s time for you to follow through on this commitment and act immediately to protect New York families and children from the ever-worsening climate crisis.

Fossil fuel pollution is driving more frequent and intense extreme weather that puts our children at risk: The stories emerging from the horrific flooding in Texas are every parent’s nightmare. Meanwhile, the Trump administration has gutted federal climate research and incentives for renewable energy, boosted support for fossil fuels, defunded the National Weather Service and NOAA, and has plans to dismantle FEMA. 

You, too, are failing to protect our children and families from the climate crisis. Instead of leading the way forward toward a greener, safer state, you’re backtracking on the legal mandates of our state’s climate law (the CLCPA) and indicating openness to the very last thing we need: new fossil fuel projects, like the Williams NESE Pipeline, that will pollute our air, poison our water, and cause more climate disasters. You’re also delaying implementation of the Cap and Invest program to cap pollution and invest in renewable energy and climate resiliency projects that will protect New York families, create jobs, strengthen our electrical grid, and bring down costs.  

You must rise to meet this moment and lead on climate. No new fossil fuels. Adhere to the CLCPA and fund renewable energy and resiliency.  Ensure our state is disaster-ready. Uphold the promise you made to our families.