Photo Courtesy of Benjamin Kanter/Mayoral Photography Office
“We must shed our buildings’ reliance on fossil fuels here and now,” Mayor de Blasio said.
By Forum Staff
Mayor Bill de Blasio recently announced new mandates that will force building owners to make sharp reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. The new rules will compel owners to meet fossil fuel caps – requiring deeper upgrades to boilers, water heaters, roofs and windows on an accelerated 2030 timeframe – with significant penalties for failure to comply.
When President Donald Trump earlier this year announced the United States would abandon the Paris Climate Agreement, de Blasio pledged that the five boroughs would adhere to the treaty and accelerate its own actions to reach the “80 percent reduction in emissions by the 2050” target. Fossil fuels used for heat and hot water in buildings are the city’s single largest source of greenhouse gas emissions, de Blasio noted.
The mandates announced by the mayor on Thursday frontload the most dramatic reductions into the coming decade, and are the first step the City must take to help hold global temperature increases to just 1.5 degrees Celsius and avoid the most disastrous effects of climate change, according to the administration.
“Time is not on our side,” de Blasio said. “New York will continue to step up and make critical changes to help protect our city and prevent the worst effects of climate change. We must shed our buildings’ reliance on fossil fuels here and now. To do this, we are mandating upgrades to increase the energy efficiency of our buildings, helping us continue to honor the goals of the Paris Agreement. No matter what happens in Washington, we will not shirk our responsibility to act on climate in our own backyard.”
According to City Hall, mandated fossil fuel caps will apply to all buildings over 25,000 square-feet, and will trigger replacement of fossil fuel equipment and efficiency upgrades in the worst-performing 14,500 buildings, which together produce 24 percent of the city’s total greenhouse gas emissions.
In order to meet these targets, building owners will make improvements to boilers, heat distribution, hot water heaters, roofs and windows, de Blasio noted, requiring deeper changes during their replacement or refinancing cycles over the next 12 to 17 years.
According to the administration, the new targets will reduce total citywide greenhouse emissions seven percent by 2035 – the single-largest step ever taken to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, equivalent to taking 900,000 cars off the road, and spur 17,000 green jobs performing building retrofits. The plan will be enacted via legislation, backed by the administration and sponsored by City Councilman Costa Constantinides (D-Astoria), chairman of the Environmental Protection Committee.
Other benefits from this program include:
Less reliance on fossil fuels: By 2035, 14-percent reduction in natural gas use and a 20-percent reduction in fuel oil use.
Cleaner air: By 2035, improved air quality, enough to avoid 40 premature deaths and 100 emergency room visits related to asthma every year.
Lower annual energy costs, more comfortable indoor spaces: By 2035, energy-cost savings up to $300 million per year for multifamily building owners, and more consistent temperature for tenants.
