Mick Gilbert is Director of Cleantech, Proptech, Decarbonization at Fairstead Ventures
On February 7, 2025, I attended the Federated Conservationists of Westchester County (FCWC) Legislative Roundtable at Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University. The event included state legislators, NGOs, and local stakeholders to discuss sustainability challenges at the Federal, State and local levels.
With Federal sustainability policies shifting rapidly, I wanted to gain a deeper understanding of how policy is evolving at the community level. The discussions covered water, air, environmental justice, and land use. While I attended in my role as a citizen and member of the City of White Plains, New York Sustainability Committee, understanding the evolving sustainability policy landscape is critical to me managing sustainability efforts across Fairstead’s multi-family properties around the country. In addition, evolving regulatory changes directly impact the prospects for companies that Fairstead Ventures considers for strategic investment or collaboration.
Key Takeaways from the Roundtable
💧 Clean Water: Addressing wastewater management, pollutants, and aging infrastructure is critical. Priorities included modernizing treatment plants, preventing microplastic contamination, and ensuring clean waterways.
🌬 Clean Air: Reducing vehicle emissions, improving industrial regulations, and tackling incinerator pollution were central themes, as well as strengthening enforcement and promoting cleaner alternatives.
⚖️ Environmental Justice: Many highlighted the need for equitable environmental policies and increased accessibility to parks and conservation sites, and noted that protections could be reduced at the Federal level.
🌱 Sustainable Land Use: Protecting natural resources, open space and natural habitats was a major concern in Westchester County, where open space can be stressed by development and housing needs.
New York State Senate and New York State Assembly speakers included:
Sen. @Peter Harckham – Prioritizing microplastics regulation, PFAS contamination cleanup, and expanded wetlands protection.
Asm. @Steve Otis – Encouraging aggressive applications for clean water grants and increased funding for emerging contaminants.
Asm. Dana Levenberg – Advocating for drinking water infrastructure funding and planning grants to assist smaller communities.
Asm. MaryJane Shimsky – Pushing for better implementation of environmental programs and an improved bottle bill.
Sen. Shelley Mayer – Supporting the transition to clean energy in buildings and the expansion of renewable energy sources.
Asm. Chris Burdick – Emphasizing the reduction of vehicle emissions and the role of congestion pricing in tackling air pollution.
The event underscored the importance of collaboration between policymakers, NGOs, and business leaders. There will clearly be friction, push back and work arounds given the huge ideological and policy divide between Federal and State/County/local authorities.
