CUNY Law Hosts Earth Day Panel on Environmental Justice and NYC Policy

On April 13, CUNY School of Law’s Environmental Law Club and the Center for Urban Environmental Reform (CUER) convened an Earth Day panel on the environmental justice stakes of some of New York City’s most consequential policy battles.

The conversation brought together Michael Higgins Jr. of the NYC Environmental Justice Alliance and Renewable Rikers Coalition, Eric Goldstein of the Natural Resources Defense Council, Darren Mack of Freedom Agenda, and Costa Constantinides, CUER’s executive director and former New York City Council Member.

Panelists examined major initiatives including Renewable Rikers and Local Law 97— efforts to transition to clean energy, reduce emissions, and reshape how the city uses land and infrastructure. Central to the discussion was how these policies land in communities already bearing the heaviest burdens of pollution and climate change, and what meaningful implementation actually requires: how laws get enforced, who gets engaged, and how benefits are distributed.

Legal advocacy ran through the conversation as a through line, from shaping legislation to holding institutions accountable. The panel, hosted by students in partnership with CUER, reflected CUNY Law’s ongoing engagement with the urgent questions at the intersection of law, policy, and justice.