Mayor Bill de Blasio is bringing his push against greenhouse gas emissions into the private sector.
One year after announcing his One City, Built to Last plan to retrofit 3,000 city-
A greener skyline for NYC.
owned buildings with green technology, the mayor unveiled the next phase of his plan. Under what de Blasio calls the “Retrofit Accelerator,” some 1,000 private buildings will follow suit within the next 10 years. If successful, the new program will cut building emissions by some 1,000,000 metric tons, roughly the equivalent of taking 200,000 cars off the road.
The Retrofit Accelerator will comprise a series of energy advisors to help landowners fit their older buildings with modern, environmentally-friendly technology. The advisors will assist building owners in finding upgrade options, acquiring the proper permits, financing the changes and installing the needed equipment.
The mayor further announced an expansion of his carbon challenge, which has earned commitments from institutions across the city to cut emissions by 30 percent by 2025. Under the next phase, 700 multi-family buildings will join 40 institutions across the city in slashing the output of greenhouse house gases. The carbon challenge has further succeeded in transitioning the city over from No. 6 oil, the most environmental harmful heating fuel, at a 99.8 percent compliance rate.
Mayor de Blasio’s One City, Built to Last program aims to reduce New York City’s greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent by 2050. The plan seeks to reduce both emissions and energy costs while also creating jobs in construction and energy service. De Blasio hopes to fit buildings with insulation and utilize renewable energy sources to accomplish this task. According to the plan’s projections, some 300 city-owned buildings will rely on solar power within the decade. Three quarters of the city’s output stems from energy used to heat, cool and power buildings.