Elizabeth Yeampierre, executive director of the Brooklyn-based climate justice nonprofit UPROSE, worried about the Climate Action Council plan promulgating market solutions, such as continued reliance on lower emitting fossil fuels, that won't address long-standing issues in communities of color that often live in closer to proximity to pollutants.

"We are trying very much to honor how the legacy of historical harm has manifested in poor health for our communities and vulnerability to extreme weather events," Yeampierre said. "What happens in governance is that the response is like, 'Let's fix it,' without addressing the root causes."