Press Release

National Initiative Will Equip State Lawmakers to Pass Stronger Climate Legislation and Combat Federal Efforts to Undermine State Climate Action

July 03, 2025

Environmental Advocates NY and Columbia Law School’s Sabin Center Partner to
Launch “Model Climate Laws Initiative” Across the U.S.

July 3, 2025 – A new partnership between Environmental Advocates NY (EANY) and Columbia Law School’s Sabin Center for Climate Change Law aims to give state governments across the country the legal tools they need to act quickly, cut greenhouse gas emissions, and protect progress.

The newly launched Model Climate Laws Initiative will support the development of strong state-level laws and regulations to combat climate change–some designed as models for national use, others tailored to meet the unique needs of specific states. It will work with lawmakers, agencies, and advocates to identify and address legal gaps and help meet the demand for stronger policies. 

This effort is designed to meet the needs of the moment, following actions like President Trump’s executive orders purporting to direct the federal government to undermine state climate progress. 

“This isn’t only about writing new laws—it’s about protecting the progress we’ve already made,” said Vanessa Fajans-Turner, executive director of Environmental Advocates NY. “With this Initiative, we’re making sure the climate movement has lawyers at the drafting table—not just in the courtroom. States are leading on climate—and they’re doing it without sufficient legal resources and backup. This project fills that vacuum.”  

“Many state legislators and agencies have excellent ideas for new climate policies but they lack the legal assistance necessary to turn them into laws,” said Professor Michael Gerrard, founder and faculty director of the Sabin Center. “This Initiative will help provide that assistance and drafting expertise.”

Jon Binder will serve as Executive Director of the Initiative. He brings 20 years of experience working at the intersection of climate law, public policy, and state regulation. Until joining the Initiative, he was Deputy Commissioner for Climate Change, Air Resources, and Energy at the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. 

“After almost two decades helping build and implement New York’s legal and administrative framework for climate from inside the government, I’m excited to scale those lessons to advance state-level climate policy across the country,” said Binder. “Our goal is simple: make sure good ideas for climate action become strong, lasting, and successfully implemented laws. I look forward to further demonstrating the value of state-level action to address the changing climate.”

The Model Climate Laws Initiative builds on the previous work of the Model Laws for Deep Decarbonization Project, which began as a volunteer-led initiative with support of the Sabin Center. The Initiative will draw on drafting and research groundwork laid by the Legal Pathways to Deep Decarbonization (LPDD) project, a joint initiative of the Sabin Center and Widener University Commonwealth Law School, which has already documented 2,500 model bills and related legal resources.

The LPDD project grew out of a book Legal Pathways to Deep Decarbonization in the United States, published by the Environmental Law Institute in 2019 and edited by Professor Michael Gerrard, founder and faculty director of the Sabin Center, and Professor John C. Dernbach of Widener Law School.

”This Initiative will result in more model laws and much stronger outreach to legislators, clean energy advocates, and other stakeholders,” said Professor Dernbach.

From Albany to All 50 States

Though anchored in New York, the Model Laws Initiative is national in scope. It will provide:

  • Custom-drafted model climate legislation tailored to the legal and political realities of individual states

  • Legal analysis and bill refinement to strengthen existing policies before and after passage

  • Implementation and rulemaking support to translate law into action

  • Public-facing tools like New York’s CLCPA Tracker—adaptable for use in other states

Media contacts: Tiffany Challe, Communications Associate at the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law ([email protected]); Brian Keegan, Director of Communications, Environmental Advocates NY
([email protected])