Actor Leonardo DiCaprio wrote on Instagram urging Governor Katie Hochul to sign a bill aimed at limiting the state’s impact on climate change.
DiCaprio, who has long advocated addressing climate change, noted Governor Khochul in a message addressed to his 62.1 million followers.
“New York is poised to become the first state to use its purchasing power as one of the world’s largest economies to combat climate change and biodiversity loss,” DiCaprio wrote on Instagram.
A law passed earlier this year, known to supporters as the Law on Procurement without Deforestation, prohibits the state from entering into contracts with companies using tropical hardwoods or products that contribute to deforestation.
It also prohibits the supply of certain products from forests at risk and obliges contractors to provide the state with data confirming the origin of the products.
The bill was submitted to the governor on December 12, and she has until Saturday to sign it. Last-minute negotiations are underway to amend the bill, but details of the proposed changes have not been disclosed.
The state has concerns about the work of the Office of General Services. Opponents of the bill fear the consequences for small businesses and increased state spending. Others are calling for changes at the federal level to achieve the desired effect.
New York may become the first state to implement a policy similar to the one vetoed by California Governor Gavin Newsom in 2021. The European Union has also recently adopted comparable rules, which will be fully implemented in the coming years.
