MAYOR ADAMS LAUNCHES CAMPAIGN TO PROMOTE GREEN BUILDINGS, ESTABLISH NYC AS NATIONAL LEADER IN ENERGY EFFICIENCY

 

Launched on Earth Day, ‘Building Action NYC’ Will Support Buildings in Making Energy Upgrades — Making Buildings More Resilient, Creating Thousands of Green Jobs, and Supporting Long-Term Development of Green Workforce

 

With Nearly 10,000 Buildings Already Aided Through ‘NYC Accelerator,’ Building Owners, Property Managers, and Developers Can Access Free Support to Reduce Carbon Emissions, Lower Costs, and Comply With Local Laws

 New York City Mayor Eric Adams today launched ‘Building Action NYC,’ a new citywide campaign to promote steps to make New York City’s buildings greener and more resilient while fostering a healthier future for the city and New Yorkers. The city’s more than one million buildings — covering more than five billion square feet — constitute the largest source of the city’s carbon emissions, contributing almost 70 percent of the city’s total emissions. The work to limit building emissions will be a critical component of the city’s work towards reaching carbon neutrality by 2050.

 

“We must become a carbon-neutral city, but we can only do that if we decarbonize our buildings, and we are going to ‘Get Stuff Done’ and make it happen,” said Mayor Adams. “Buildings are the largest emitters of carbon, so we are investing in bringing renewable energy to them and making New York City a national leader in green buildings — creating tens of thousands of jobs for New Yorkers and delivering environmental justice for our city.”

 

“Local Law 97 is called the Climate Mobilization Act for a reason: Tackling climate change and protecting New York will require all of us to get moving. For building owners and managers, that means improving energy efficiency, and New York City, in partnership with New York state, offers lots of ways to help,” said Rohit T. Aggarwala, New York City Chief Climate Officer; and commissioner, Department of Environmental Protection. “While energy efficiency may seem difficult at first, the success of the Fairview Co-op in Forest Hills demonstrates that all buildings can make progress if they put in just a bit of effort and realize long-term savings.”

 

“Ensuring that our buildings don’t contribute to our climate challenges isn’t just about reducing their carbon emissions,” said Kizzy Charles-Guzman, executive director, Mayor’s Office of Climate & Environmental Justice. “It’s about cleaning the air that we breathe, making our city more livable, reducing pollutants in our neighborhoods, creating green jobs for New Yorkers, and making the spaces where we live, work, and play healthier and more resilient. ‘Building Action NYC’ will connect directly with our frontline communities — educating and empowering New Yorkers to help us shape the city we need and deserve.”

 

“The ‘NYC Accelerator’ is key to helping building owners lower their emissions and helping New York City reach our goal of carbon neutrality by 2050,” said New York City Department of Buildings Acting Commissioner Constadino “Gus” Sirakis, P.E. “Our city has made significant strides to push forward building decarbonization in the last few years — work that is critical to protecting the lives of our fellow New Yorkers. The ‘Building Action NYC’ campaign builds on this work by educating building owners on the significant resources available to them to secure a greener future for all of us.”

 

Over the next month, New Yorkers will see the ‘Building Action NYC’ campaign throughout the city. The campaign will:

• Raise awareness about ‘NYC Accelerator,’ resources for building decision-makers, and a pledge for any New Yorker to “adopt a building” to facilitate making building upgrades;
• Showcase how this work supports environmental justice communities​and affordable housing; and
• Educate New Yorkers on the need for decarbonization, the benefits to buildings and residents, and the health of our city. ​

 

New Yorkers will find campaign messaging on storefront windows, broadcast radio, Google and web advertisements, and YouTube and video advertisements, as well as on social media.

 

Fairview Owners Corporation — the cooperative residence in Forest Hills, Queens that was the site of today’s announcement — is one of nearly 10,000 buildings that have benefited from ‘NYC Accelerator’ assistance to make energy upgrades, repair damaged solar panels, and access incentive programs and financing, all of which will help the building comply with Local Law 97. The significant flood damage that the Fairview suffered during Hurricane Ida in 2021 underscored the need for upgrades at that site and at buildings across the city.

 

Local Law 97 — which is part of the historic Climate Mobilization Act passed by the New York City Council in 2019 — is one of the most ambitious mandates for emission reductions in the nation. Under this groundbreaking legislation, most buildings over 25,000 square feet will be required to comply with greenhouse gas emissions limits by 2024, with stricter limits coming into effect in 2030.

 

More information on ‘NYC Accelerator’ is available online.

 

“We are excited about the launch of the ‘Building Action NYC’ campaign and the critical support the ‘NYC Accelerator’ provides to decarbonize buildings like the Fairview Co-op in Forest Hills, highlighting how PACE financing and technical support can improve living spaces through energy savings and efficiency to provide greater comfort,” said Doreen M. Harris, president and CEO, New York State Energy Research and Development Authority. “With these essential resources, Mayor Adams’ office is providing connections for consumers, businesses, and industry partners to reduce emissions and help frontline communities limit the impact of climate change.”

 

“Buildings are the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in New York state and are at the forefront of our efforts to reduce emissions and create opportunities for New Yorkers,” said Basil Seggos, commissioner, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation; and co-chair, State Climate Action Council. “Building decarbonization will help to improve the health and lives of people across the state, particularly in disadvantaged communities, and ensure environmental justice is part of our nation-leading environmental efforts under the leadership of Gov. Kathy Hochul to improve quality of life and protect our planet for generations to come. On Earth Day, and every day, we’re pleased to work with our partners, including Mayor Eric Adams, Chief Climate Officer Rit Aggarwala, and the entire New York City team, to take climate action and protect our communities and residents now and in the future.”

 

“Our city needs to deploy all tools in its toolbox to effectively implement our landmark Climate Mobilization Act,” said New York City Comptroller Brad Lander. “The ‘NYC Accelerator’ is an important resource that provides building owners with free access to technical assistance for identifying retrofit strategies and financial incentives for their building to be compliant with Local Law 97 and meeting our ambitious emissions reduction goals.”