Decarbonize CUNY!

About the Working Group

The Environmental Justice Working Group (EJWG) engages PSC members in the fight for environmental justice. We work with faculty, staff and students to bring environmental justice to our campuses and communities and to build awareness and action toward that effort. To advance legislation and other policy changes, we work in broad coalitions on City, State and Federal levels, help to expand labor-climate alliances and draft resolutions that are consistently supported by our Delegate Assembly and Executive Council. We helped to initiate the Climate and Environmental Justice Caucus in the American Federation of Teachers and have advanced support for public sector decarbonization in the AFT.

We have already achieved many wins: divestment of the NYC Teachers Retirement Fund and NY State Common Retirement Fund from fossil fuel holdings; the successful passage of the NYC Dirty Buildings Bill in 2019 (with Align-Climate Works for All); the NY State Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act in 2019 (with NY Renews); and the Build Public Renewables Act in 2023 (with Public Power NY).  We supported the Green Schools campaign to decarbonize public schools and Congestion Pricing to reduce emissions in Manhattan. We participate in conferences and mobilizations for environmental issues, and hold monthly meetings with speakers and discussion on environmental justice topics.

We are now turning our attention to decreasing carbon emissions in the 300+ large buildings on the 20 campuses of CUNY. With NYSUT as our state-wide partner in the Public Power NY coalition, the NY State legislature passed the Build Public Renewables Act (BPRA) which dramatically expands our public power authority to develop renewable energy for public buildings.  We are now in the implementation stage of the BPRA; continued pressure on the governor to do so is needed and the federal Inflation Reduction Act gives us further support and funding to decarbonize.  Stepping up public power is essential as none of the targets NYS has set for itself to transition off fossil fuels can occur based on the current efforts and plans of private utilities. 

Quotes in support

“At CUNY, we know firsthand what outdated infrastructure looks like. We see it in our classrooms, labs, workspaces, and elevators. And CUNY’s crumbling facilities are inseparable from the climate crisis! CUNY buildings are some of the least energy-efficient in New York City,” said PSC President James Davis. “The disinvestment that is short-changing our members is also short-changing future generations. We need to decarbonize CUNY – both by updating and improving our facilities, and by transforming the energy system on which they rely.” 

Ashley Dawson addresses the Grad Center Town Hall on September 5th, along with Assembly Member Robert Carroll, PPNY’s Michael Paulson, and EJWG organzier Nic Nicoludis (PSC-CUNY)

“We are the people’s university. And we have public power here, we get our power from NYPA. But we need to push NYPA to forge forward, and that’s what this meeting is about…. We’re never going to get the politicians to shut down all of that toxic infrastructure and to stop making sacrifice zones, unless we win the struggle for public, democratic power and a just transition. And I think we here [at CUNY] are incredibly fortunate to be at the forefront of that, really at the center of that struggle in this country,” said Ashley Dawson distinguished professor of English at the CUNY Graduate Center and the founder of of the Climate Action Lab at CUNY

“The New York Power Authority has to, by law, put out a document this January that says what it’s going to do to help New York [reach net zero emissions]…. The fact of the matter is, the BPRA, the law of the state of New York, now says NYPA has to act. And NYPA has the ability to act. They have a AA bond rating, they can go to the capital markets and get funding, because of the Inflation Reduction Act they can receive federal dollars as well, and they are tax-exempt. They are better positioned to go off and build wind and solar projects than basically any other entity in the country,” said Assembly Member Robert Carroll.

“CUNY is a world class educational system that lifts up working class New Yorkers. But for too long, it has been forced to carry out its essential mission in crumbling, polluting facilities. With federal funding from the Inflation Reduction Act and new state policy tools like the Build Public Renewables Act, we have the opportunity to create the dignified, sustainable CUNY that our communities deserve. We must seize it. I’m proud to join the Professional Staff Congress and Public Power NY in their push to Decarbonize CUNY,” said Assembly Member Emily Gallagher. 

“Our twin goals of decarbonizing CUNY buildings and ensuring that NYPA builds renewable energy are linked, as both institutions have set laudable goals but are not putting in the money and effort that it will take to make them come true. Our students, faculty, staff, and neighbors deserve clean air and non-polluting CUNY buildings and the Build Public Renewables Act allows New York State to outcompete fossil fuel power plants, but it will take all of our voices to make sure that our appointed and elected officials follow through on these commitments!”, said Hunter College High School science teacher Ross Pinkerton.

If you are interested in joining the EJWG, please contact [email protected] or [email protected]