NYC LOCAL LAWS A Greener NYC: How Local Laws Can Help Your Building Operate More Efficiently In May of 2019, New York City enacted the Climate Mobilization Act in order to mitigate the substantial effects of greenhouse gas emissions from buildings. Climate change and its negative effects on the world’s oceans and atmosphere are primarily driven by greenhouse gas emissions. Reducing emissions from all existing and future buildings is the most significant action NYC can take as buildings contribute nearly three quarters of all citywide emissions. Local laws have been implemented by government officials to amend the administrative code of the City of New York in order to achieve certain reductions in building emissions by 2050. In 2014, Local Law 66 committed the City and its buildings to the goal of reducing citywide emissions 80% by the year 2050, relative to such emissions for the calendar year 2005. The first achievement benchmark of this goal is a 40% reduction in aggregate building emissions from covered buildings by 2030. These emissionsreducing policies aim to decrease greenhouse gases, which contribute to global warming, in a practical and proactive way. Carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) is the metric used to compare the emissions of various greenhouse gases based upon their global warming potential as defined in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Fifth Assessment Report (2014). Greenhouse gases measured as part of building emissions include the following: carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, sulfur hexafluoride, and nitrogen trifluoride.
Buildup to Local Law 97 Although implemented in 2019, Local Law 97 (LL97) has been preceded by numerous City code amendments requiring that building owners be better prepared for the newly effected energy efficiency guidelines. These code amendments come in the form of local laws and are highlighted by LL95, LL84, LL87, and LL88. Local Law 95 (Local Law 33 of 2018) requires buildings larger than 25,000 square feet to receive and publicly display Building Energy Efficiency Ratings beginning in 2020. Building Energy Efficiency Ratings are based on energy performance instead of emissions and are provided via the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Portfolio Manager Tool. While reducing energy consumption will typically result in reduced building emissions, obtaining a high grade does not necessarily translate to Local Law 97 compliance. Ratings include a 1-100 Energy Star score and a corresponding A-D letter grade, including an F for noncompliance. In 2020, and in each calendar year thereafter, an owner of a covered building shall use the Portfolio Manager Tool to provide the NYC Department of Buildings (DOB) an energy efficiency score for their building; unless the building is a type for which it is not feasible to obtain an energy efficiency score. Every year, the DOB shall issue an energy efficiency grade to the owner, and, within 30 days, the owner shall post the grade and score in a conspicuous location near each public entrance.
Image: New York City DOB