Local Environmental Protection & Increased Diversity in Business with NYC Comptroller Scott Stringer

Policy Breakfast: “Creating a Fiscally Resilient City Amidst our Local, National, and Global Economic Challenges” on October 11th

The French-American Foundation welcomed NYC Comptroller Scott Stringer, who has been a political leader in the city of New York for much of his career.

First, the Comptroller acknowledged the deep connection between New York and France, as about 60,000 French nationals live in the greater New York area. Mr. Stringer recognized the critical role France plays in safeguarding the planet and thanked the French government representatives in the room. He emphasized the importance of local US government participation in environmental protection policy and added that New York should be taking the lead in the field.

As Comptroller, Mr. Stringer and his staff oversee the City’s public pension system. In his remarks he described efforts to bring more accountability and transparency to the City’s funds and shared anecdotes from this process. While in office, Mr. Stringer developed an investment strategy respectful of the climate, diversifying the pension fund portfolio by focusing on sustainable investments such as clean energy investments.

He went on to explain his diversity plan, such as initiatives to increase the participation of minority and women-owned business seeking to do business with the city. He also explained that 40% of New Yorkers are foreign-born and taxes payed by immigrants amount to one billion dollars annually. He went on to add that “immigration is good economic strategy. We need immigrants to build entrepreneurial jobs.”

Photos credit: Kari Bjorn www.karibjorn.com