Peggy Shepard on Mayor-Elect Mamdani’s Transition Team

When Peggy Shepard started WE ACT for Environmental Justice 37 years ago, one of her goals was to ensure that environmental justice was on the City’s agenda, that our leaders understood the disproportionate burdens our communities face, and that they were willing to work toward equitable solutions to address these disparities. Helping pass Local Laws 60 and 64 of 2017 led to the establishment of New York City’s Environmental Justice Advisory Board, which she chairs, as well as the creation of the EJNYC Report and Mapping Tool, which identified environmental justice issues citywide. These were key steps to achieving that goal, which is leading up to the development of the City’s EJNYC Plan (click here to learn how you can get involved).

With the incoming mayoral administration, Peggy is once again stepping up to ensure that environmental justice is front and center in New York City. She has been invited to serve on the Committee on Transportation, Climate, & Infrastructure, which is part of Mayor-Elect Zohran Mamdani’s Transition Team. She even made a double cameo in Mayor-Elect Mamdani’s transition team announcement reel.

Giving Thanks: A Few Things We’re Thankful For…

The entire WE ACT team wishes you and yours a Happy Thanksgiving. As this holiday is traditionally one of reflection and gratitude, there are a few things we're thankful for here at WE ACT, and that includes some of the wins we have helped achieve this year:

Banning PFAS and Other Toxic Chemicals from Menstrual Products

As part of the JustGreen Partnership, we helped pass the Ban on PFAS and Toxic Chemicals Bill, which will regulate the sale and distribution in New York State of menstrual products that contain restricted substances or unsafe chemicals, including PFAS “forever chemicals.” We are now working to get Governor Kathy Hochul to sign this bill into law, and you can help us by clicking here to send her an email asking her to do so. Take Action

Saving $200 Million Annually on Energy Bills by Repealing the 100-Foot Rule

As part of the Renewable Heat Now coalition, we helped pass legislation that eliminates the 100-foot rule, which will save ratepayers across the state $200 million per year. We are now working to get the Governor to sign this bill into law as well, and you can help by clicking here to send her an email asking her to do so. Take Action

Codifying New York City’s Cooling Center Program
As part of the Extreme Heat Coalition, and building on years of advocacy by our members, we helped get Local Law 128 of 2025 passed by the New York City Council. The bill codifies the City’s Cooling Center program, making it a permanent part of its response to extreme heat events. It requires the City to designate cooling center locations based on factors like the heat vulnerability index and population density to ensure equitable access.

Keeping LIHEAP Alive with a $20 Million Increase

The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) is a federally-funded and state-implemented program designed to assist eligible low-income households with their heating and cooling costs, energy crisis assistance, weatherization, and energy-related home repairs. Despite the Trump administration’s attempt to defund the entire program, our advocacy helped secure a $20-million increase in LIHEAP funding for fiscal year 2026.

Cool Pavement Pilot Program Paves Path for Cooler Communities

Cool pavements can reduce surface temperatures, which is why we advocated for the New York City Council to passed the Cool Pavement Pilot Program. Cool pavements will be installed in the city’s most vulnerable communities to help combat the Urban Heat Island effect, and the lessons learned will hopefully lead to a broader, fully-funded program across the city.

Secured $2 Million for Pre-Electrification Pilot Program

Low-income households often face the biggest barriers to energy efficiency, weatherization, and electrification due to living in older housing stock with deferred maintenance and environmental health hazards that prevent basic energy upgrades to make homes more affordable, comfortable, and healthy. To help fund this pre-electrification work, which is not currently funded by existing state programs, we successfully advocated for the Green Affordable Pre-Electrification (GAP) Fund to be funded as a $2-million pilot in New York State’s budget. This falls well-short of the funding needed to address these barriers to pre-electrification, but we will continue to push to make this pilot permanent and for the fund to receive a substantial and durable investment from the state, prioritizing communities of color and low-income where the need is the greatest.

Helping Enforce Law Banning Mercury from Cosmetics

Three years ago, we helped pass a law banning the sale of mercury in cosmetics – in-store or online – in New York State. However, our staff still spotted skin lightening products being sold online that we suspected contained mercury. We obtained some samples, had them tested, and confirmed that they did in fact contain mercury – up to 29,000 times more than the legal limit. We shared this with the New York State Attorney General’s office, who did their own investigation and testing, and they recently took action against three companies – sending a strong message to manufacturers and retailers of these harmful products, both here and abroad. Learn More

Legal Victory to Defend the New York State Climate Act

We were among the plaintiffs in a lawsuit against the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) for failing to issue the regulations required by law, under the New York State Climate Act (originally known as the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, or CLCPA). We were part of a coalition that helped pass this landmark climate law in 2019, setting aggressive emission-reduction goals for the state. After failing to finalize regulations for this by January 2024, the DEC announced in January 2025 that the draft regulations it had been promising would not be released that year, nor would they specify a date when it would comply. In March 2025, WE ACT joined Citizen Action of New York, PUSH Buffalo, and the Sierra Club – and represented by Earthjustice, New York Lawyers for the Public Interest, and the Pace Environmental Litigation Clinic – in filing a lawsuit urging the court to order the release of these overdue regulations. Last month, the court ruled in our favor, ordering the DEC to issue these regulations no later than by February 6th, 2026. Learn More

Phasing Out Mercury from Dental Amalgam at the UN’s Minamata Convention

Having successfully advocated for the adoption of an amendment to the treaty to phase-out mercury from cosmetics at the United Nations’ COP5 Minamata Convention on Mercury in 2023, we attend COP6 in 2025 to help phase-out mercury-containing dental amalgam by 2034. Dental amalgam is a cavity filling containing 50-percent mercury and is primarily used in communities of color and low-income. The Convention also strengthened the ban on manufacturing, importing, and exporting of mercury-added cosmetics, calling on the Minamata Secretariat to identify countries with challenges establishing and enforcing the bans and assist in bridging these gaps. It also looped in the World Customs Organization, Interpol, and other international organizations to investigate the illegal trade of these products.

Support WE ACT: Keep the Wins Coming!

As you gather with family and friends this Thanksgiving, we encourage you to reflect on what you are thankful for in these trying times. And if you are able to give, we would be thankful for any support you can offer to help us keep us winning these fights. Thank you!

Uptown Chats Podcast: Celebrating Our 2025 Wins!

Want to learn more about these wins and how we made them happen? Jaron and Lonnie talk to our staff about some of our 2025 wins in this special podcast episode. Listen

Give Today: And See Your Donation Doubled!

Everyone who makes a donation between now and Giving Tuesday will have their gift matched, up to $5,000. Click here to make a donation, and double your support for us!

Reminder: Help Develop Solutions for Environmental Justice Issues in Harlem

WE ACT has joined forces with New York City Mayor’s Office of Climate and Environmental Justice (MOCEJ) to work together on a citywide outreach effort to engage communities and get their input on the EJNYC Plan, a plan to address the environmental justice issues identified in the EJNYC Report. Engaging with the residents of New York’s environmental justice communities, those who are most impacted by these issues, will be critical in developing effective, equitable solutions.

Thanks to the generous support of conEdison, our first charrette will be here in Harlem on Saturday, Dec. 6th from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM at the Manhattanville Community Center. Come join us and help ensure that the voices of our community are included in this plan. RSVP

Take Action: Sign the Petition to Reinstate the MTA Ban on Alcohol Ads

In 2018, we were part of a coalition that successfully advocated for the MTA to ban alcohol ads in our transit system. But the MTA quietly reversed course and is now allowing such advertisements.

Our members have made it clear that we need a safer, more hospitable transit system, and ads that encourage unhealthy behavior are counterproductive, especially given how many minors use the subways and buses. We hope that you will take a minute to sign the petition, which was created by one of our former organizers, Bailey, who was part of the initial campaign. Sign the Petition