Reimagining Climate Finance: Targeted Pathways for Resilience

New York State faces increasing climate risks while lacking stable and dedicated funding sources to support long-term infrastructure resiliency investments, and the situation has become more serious given the unreliability of federal financial support. Commissioned by Rebuild by Design (RBD), this project examines how the state can generate sustainable climate funding without relying on broad-based tax increases. The analysis focuses on sectors whose activities have the greatest negative impact on the environment and the pace of climate change, with a focus on luxury modes of transportation and energy-intensive industries. Using sector screening and revenue modeling, the project identifies opportunities to align financial contributions with emissions intensity and economic activity. The findings show that targeted, sector-based environmental contribution mechanisms can generate meaningful and scalable revenue while maintaining equity and political feasibility. Overall, the project provides a practical framework for addressing New York State’s climate funding gap and supporting long-term resilience investment.