From 350.org on January 3, 2018

Press Release: For Immediate Release

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.

### BACKGROUND STATEMENT

350 is the red line for human beings, the most important number on the planet. The most recent science tells us that unless we can reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere to 350 parts per million, we will cause huge and irreversible damage to the earth. But solutions exist. All around the world, a movement is building to take on the climate crisis, to get humanity out of the danger zone and below 350. This movement is massive, it is diverse, and it is visionary. We are activists, scholars, and scientists. We are leaders in our businesses, our churches, our governments, and our schools. We are clean energy advocates, forward-thinking politicians, and fearless revolutionaries. And we are united around the world, driven to make our planet livable for all who come after us.

Source: https://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2018/01/03/350orgs-bill-mckibben-new-york-governor-cuomos-2018-state-state-address/