The road to sustainability is not an easy one, especially when it seems at times that our government has checked out of the conversation to combat climate change. Although not everyone seems to be united in the fight, New York State has made it a point to do their part to help fight climate change and push forward toward a greener, more sustainable future.

Sponsored by Todd Kaminsky in the New York State Senate and Steve Englebright in the New York State Assembly, the Climate and Community Protection Act (CCPA) establishes aggressive mandates to ensure New York achieves a 100 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions in the next 30 years, keeping the state in line with UN recommendations to avoid catastrophic global warming. The CCPA also includes some of the country’s most progressive jobs and equity provisions of any green legislation in the United States.

Under the CCPA, 40 percent of state energy and climate funds used to propel the transition must be invested in low-income communities and communities of color. The CCPA would also attach fair labor standards to green projects receiving state funding, including prevailing wage standards.