New York, NY — In his 2018 State of the State Address today, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo reiterated his commitment to work with State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli to divest the State’s pension funds from fossil fuels and reinvest in solutions such as renewable energy. This comes just weeks after Governor Cuomo and New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer pledged to divest New York’s pension funds from coal, oil and gas.
In response, Bill McKibben, 350.org co-founder, offered the following statement:
“The thorough-going divestment Andrew Cuomo promised today is precisely what we need state and local leaders to do in the age of Trump: go above and beyond, with actions that not only protect the physical and financial futures of their own domains but also offer true global leadership in the climate fight.”
At a combined $390 billion, the New York City and State divestment commitments are one of the first U.S. pension systems to commit to dropping coal, oil, and gas, and the largest full divestment commitment in the world.
The #DivestNY coalition and New York communities will continue to work to hold elected officials at all levels accountable for bold and swift climate action, such as divestment from fossil fuels, reinvestment in 100% renewable energy, and building the Fossil Free world that works for all New Yorkers.
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For more on the #DivestNY victory, visit: divestny.org
Contact: Lindsay Meiman, +1 (347) 460-9082