As the climate crisis worsens, NYC is fighting back with innovative initiatives. From cutting carbon emissions in city buildings to capturing the asphyxiant greenhouse gas in parks, these programs are working towards long-term goals.
Getting to zero GHG emissions is the largest challenge for cities like New York. But the upfront costs of this work will help mitigate future hazards and boost the economy.
1. Clean Fleet
A fleet of efficient, low-emission vehicles reduces the city’s dependency on fossil fuels and emissions. GNA works with local governments to provide support and resources that help them move toward zero-emission trucks.
The City’s fleet includes a number of all-electric cargo vans and electric refuse trucks. Public Works also uses B20 biodiesel in its vehicles.
The City supports a national strategy to ensure that vehicle fuel economy standards are as strong as possible, and will continue to work to strengthen state and federal clean air policies. In addition, it advocates for an ambitious state goal to electrify class 3-8 vehicles — including those that make last-mile consumer deliveries and drayage trucking at ports and railyards — by 2045. This would be the fastest timeline for a major transportation electrification strategy in the nation.
2. Energy Efficiency
The City is reducing the carbon footprint of large buildings by improving insulation and installing energy-efficient heating, cooling and lighting systems.
Over a third of NYC’s greenhouse gas emissions come from New York’s buildings, and Local Law 97 requires that all new and existing large buildings limit their emissions beginning in 2024.
Building owners who don’t reach their targets will be subject to steep fines, and the City will help them make the needed upgrades.
This is just one part of the City’s multi-pronged plan to fight climate change. Other efforts include cutting the use of fossil fuels in school buses and the city fleet, expanding solar power, creating electric vehicle charging stations across the city, and working to get polluting trucks off the streets.
3. Green Buildings
Over a third of the city’s greenhouse gas emissions come from buildings, so reducing them is key to addressing climate change. To help, New York City’s pioneering Local Law 97 of 2019 sets limits on carbon emissions from large buildings.
To make these laws work, City agencies and businesses must switch to cleaner electricity sources. That means replacing old gas systems with electric ones, and installing heat pumps that allow each unit of electricity to provide more heating than older gas models.
The City is also requiring new construction to be all-electric and is working with building owners to retrofit existing buildings. We are also urging utilities to minimize investments in costly new gas infrastructure, and ensuring that members of disadvantaged communities benefit from the City’s efforts to shift away from natural gas.
4. Transportation
With a new multi-prong strategy, NYC is on track to cut transportation emissions in half by 2030 by electrifying school buses, the city fleet and for-hire vehicles. The plan also includes installing electric-vehicle charging stations in every 2.5 miles.
In the face of federal inaction, many cities are taking climate action on their own. The city has passed laws requiring thousands of large buildings to drastically reduce their carbon emissions (Local Law 97). An efficient, exclusive commercial waste zone system (CWZ) could avoid 2 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions each year.
5. Waste Reduction
In addition to a new carbon cap, the city is working toward a zero waste plan that would see all buildings cut their emissions by 80%. The plan also aims to reduce air pollution by having fewer trucks transporting trash to landfills.
The plan also includes a new law that mandates the city to explore renewable energy for its schools and a new program to make solar energy easier to purchase for all city buildings. Moreover, it aims to encourage more residents to recycle by making it free for all, and by supporting programs that match those who have too much food with non-profits that need it.
While the city’s efforts to limit waste are laudable, they can be improved with the reinstatement of community composting at greenmarkets and subway stations, which has been cut due to a City budget shortfall.
