BROOKLYN COLLEGE–As New York City prepares for a new mayoral administration, students, faculty, and community leaders gathered to call for stronger climate action from the next mayor during a town hall discussion at Brooklyn College on Oct. 22.
The event was co-facilitated by BC Professor and director of the Urban Sustainability Program, Michael Menser, and TREEage campus organizer Leila M. Tazi. It featured speakers from across the city’s environmental and civic organizations to discuss how New York’s next leader should address the climate crisis through community-driven policy and public investment.
“Of course, many people are very excited about the way it’s looking in terms of this moment and our possibilities of this next mayor,” said Menser. “But whoever the next mayor is, there’s got to be an agenda that connects to the communities, that’s got some vision to it, and that’s our job to fuel all that.”
The evening’s first speaker was two-time BC graduate and New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams. Williams emphasized that the city’s ability to act on climate change is heavily dependent on funding and public investment into green infrastructure and sustainable jobs. He urged the next mayor to have the “backbone” to push through these issues and prioritize long-term environmental goals.
