Today, the Sierra Club released a report calling for Governor Cuomo to set a state-wide target to reduce on-road transportation emissions 55% by 2035, in order to meet New York’s long-term climate goals. The report finds that, although New York’s transportation sector is not presently on track to meet its climate goals, the 55% by 2035 target would put the state on course, while saving New Yorkers billions of dollars in public health, environmental and transportation fuel costs. The target is endorsed by Electrify NY, a statewide coalition of advocates for environmental justice, public transportation, social justice, and good jobs fighting for a clean, equitable electric transportation future for New York.
Produced by Synapse Energy Economics on behalf of the Sierra Club, the report lays out two potential policy pathways to reach the 55% by 2035 target, one focusing on policies that promote vehicle electrification and a second that relies on both vehicle electrification and reducing vehicle miles traveled (or “mode shifting”). The report finds that, under either pathway, near-term action is critical to address motor vehicle climate emissions due to the long life-spans of vehicles.
The newly-released report contains several major findings. The full report is available online as a PDF at sc.org/NYTranspo.
“Despite releasing the nation’s most ambitious climate legislation this summer, Governor Cuomo has yet to commit to any target for reducing emissions from the transportation sector, which is critical in addressing New York’s climate-disrupting pollution,” said Allison Considine, New York Campaign Representative with the Sierra Club. “The report shows that New York could pull a variety of policy levers to reduce transportation emissions by 55% by 2035 – from making electric vehicles more affordable to improving and expanding public transit – but we need to start pulling them now to mitigate the worst impacts of climate and protect the health of all New Yorkers.”
