Emily Pontecorvo Grist

In 2019, New York State passed a historic law to cut greenhouse gas emissions from every part of its economy. But for some, the most significant part of the legislation was its focus on environmental justice and equity. The law, titled the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, required that 35 to 40 percent of future benefits of state investments in clean energy, energy efficiency, housing, workforce development, transportation, and pollution reductions would have to serve “disadvantaged communities.”

That provision was modeled on a similar program in California and later became the template for a national goal called “Justice40,” which President Joe Biden announced when he took office a year ago. But New York — and the federal government, for that matter — can’t be held accountable for that promise until it clears up how the benefits of investments will be measured, and pins down what, exactly, a disadvantaged community is. 

While New York state officials worked to clarify the benefits question, a new Climate Justice Working Group, made up of leaders of environmental justice and community organizations from around the state, was tasked with deciding on the criteria to identify disadvantaged communities. After 18 months of deliberation, they have finally arrived at some answers.

In December, Chris Coll, director of the energy affordability and equity program at the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, informed the Climate Justice Working Group how state agencies have decided to measure benefits. The announcement, which was made during the final working group meeting of the year, confirmed what many in the climate justice community had been hoping for: While agencies will keep track of any nonmonetary benefits from climate-related investments, they will only count direct investments — the actual dollar amounts of climate-related spending — toward compliance with the 35 to 40 percent goal. 

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