New York City Mayoral Candidates Outline Their Environmental Agendas at NYLCVEF Forum

March 7, 2025

The New York League of Conservation Voters Education Fund (NYLCVEF) hosted an environmental forum at NYU Skirball on Thursday, March 6, with New York City mayoral candidates: former NYS Assemblymember and DNC Vice Chair Michael Blake, NYC Comptroller Brad Lander, Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani, State Senator Zellnor Myrie, State Senator Jessica Ramos, and former NYC Comptroller Scott Stringer. The candidates discussed topics ranging from decarbonizing our buildings and transportation sectors, parks and open space, zero waste, public health, and more.

Watch the full program here

NYLCVEF was proud to present this platform for the candidates to discuss some of the important issues of the day including what NYC’s next mayor can do to address the existential crisis of our time, climate change, and we all learned a lot about their positions.

The program began when NYU Chief Sustainability Officer Cecil Scheib delivered opening remarks and welcoming the approximate 600-person audience to the university’s flagship theater. Scheib, along with NYLCVEF President Julie Tighe, set the tone for the evening.

As we all know, in NYC, the primary is often the election of consequence, which is why I encourage everyone here not only to vote, but to vote early in the Primary,” said Tighe. “While the federal government may be the proverbial elephant in the room, it is the decisions and policies of the mayor that determine so much of our every day lives.”

Tighe also noted that what happens in New York reverberates beyond the state’s borders. 

“Whether that’s funding parks, being the first in the nation to implement congestion pricing, curbside composting, making our buildings more efficient, or making our coastlines more resilient. WWhen New York acts, other cities across the country – and the globe  – follow,” when said. 

The forum’s moderator was Samantha Liebman, Transit Reporter for NY1, and with six candidates and a lot of ground to cover — few if any could of kept the candidates engaged and on track like she did.

Each year the New York League of Conservation Voters Education Fund works with partners to host nonpartisan candidate forums across the state, allowing for voters to hear directly from candidates about their positions on environmental issues. 

The 2025 NYC Mayoral Forum on the Environment was co-sponsored* by Regional Plan Association, WE ACT for Environmental Justice, New Yorkers for Parks, Urban Green Council, Rebuild by Design, The Nature Conservancy, Waterfront Alliance, Transportation Alternatives, Solar One, Trust for Public Land, The Climate Reality Project, and Natural Areas Conservancy.

[TAKE OUR PLEDGE TO VOTE SO WE CAN SHOW EVERYONE THE STRENGTH OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL VOTER IN 2025!]

In what were the last words of the evening, Tighe implored audience members to vote: “Tell your friends how to get informed about where the candidates are on the  environment! Be sure to vote! Take our pledge to vote early! You can scan the QR code behind me to do that.  Remember,  the primary will be held on June 24 with early voting running from June 13 through June 22.”

 

*All organizations listed as co-sponsors are 501(c)(3) public charities that cannot and do not take positions on candidates or political parties.

 

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