Senator Alessandra Biaggi announced Tuesday she is joining Leaders for Climate Accountability, a new nationwide network of public officials who support holding corporate polluters accountable for their role in creating the climate crisis.
“I’m thrilled to join Leaders for Climate Accountability because I’m committed to holding polluters accountable for their role in perpetuating the climate crisis,” Biaggi said. “New Yorkers need leaders who are courageous enough to make the systemic changes we need to protect our planet and our communities from climate change.”
Leaders for Climate Accountability announced an inaugural class of 68 state and local officials in 18 states, with plans to expand membership to other public officials committed to three core policy principles:
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Holding the fossil fuel industry accountable, because those who are most responsible for the climate crisis and its impacts should pay their fair share of its costs,
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Defending local democracy and access to the courts, because communities facing ongoing and imminent harm deserve the opportunity to seek justice and
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Putting constituents and their safety and security at the forefront of policy solutions, because taxpayers should not be stuck footing the entire bill for climate adaptation and resilience.
The network is launching as a growing number of states and localities are taking or considering legal action to recover the spiraling local costs of climate change damages — including sea-level rise, wildfires, floods, and supercharged storms — from major oil and gas companies who knew their products would cause the climate crisis but lied to the public and opposed climate action for decades. The new effort is being facilitated by The Center for Climate Integrity, a nonprofit that works to help communities hold corporate polluters accountable for the massive costs of climate change.
Background on Climate Liability Cases:
Since 2017, 25 communities, including the states of Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, Minnesota and Rhode Island; the District of Columbia and more than a dozen city and county governments in California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, South Carolina and Washington have brought lawsuits under different claims to hold the oil and gas industry accountable for deceiving the public about climate change. Learn about those cases here.
