Eco activists are securing significant financial backing in their pursuit of environmental reforms.
Environmental groups that took legal action against Governor Kathy Hochul to accelerate the implementation of New York’s controversial green legislation are thriving financially, with some reporting incomes exceeding $100 million.
According to its latest 2024 tax records, Earthjustice, a key player in the lawsuit, boasts revenues of $139 million and net assets totaling $244 million.
Similarly, the Sierra Club, another prominent party in the legal case, reported revenues of $173 million in its most recent 2023 tax filing.
These organizations, among others, have alleged that Hochul delayed the regulatory process for the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act of 2019, designed to curb carbon emissions in the state.
In the fall, a state Supreme Court judge ruled in favor of the environmentalists, mandating the state to establish the necessary regulations to enforce the law.
Hochul has since proposed amending the law to stretch out the compliance timetable, saying the lofty were impractical and causing costs to skyrocket.
“We cannot meet the Climate Act’s 2030 targets without imposing new and additional crushing costs on New York businesses and residents,” Hochul said.
Hochul’s administration released a memo in February claiming that the current plan to meet a 2030 emissions goal would wallop New York households with an additional $4,000 in costs between gasoline and utilities.
Pro-business advocates were amused at hearing how well-funded the climate change activists who accuse them of “corporate greed” are.
“They are big money. The environmentalists are more heavily funded than we are. They are the big greenies,” said Paul Zuber, executive vice president of the Business Council of New York State.
State Conservative Party Chairman Jerry Kassar said the environmentalists use their enormous war chests — fueled by well-heeled donors to scaremonger and bully liberal politicians — to back their agenda.
“They tell green tales that the world is coming to an end without scientific evidence,” Kassar said.
Another Albany insider said, “These groups love to spotlight who is funding whom — except when it comes to them. It’s hypocrisy at its worst.”
Earth Justice and the Sierra Club declined to comment.
Other plaintiffs in the case include Citizen Action of New York, which had assets of $1.77 million in net assets, its 2024 tax return revealed.
People for Sustainable Housing raised $5.2 million in funds, according to its 2024 filing.
