NYC Green Building Programs
In most major cities in the US, transportation produces the bulk of emissions. In New York City, more than 70% of Green House Gas (GHG) emissions come from buildings. Almost half of those emissions come from only 2% of buildings. To counter this, the city needs aggressive retrofits to make existing buildings more efficient.
In 2009 New York City enacted a comprehensive effort, called the Greener, Greater Buildings Plan (GGBP), which targets energy efficiency in these large existing buildings. The City’s signature effort in energy efficiency is an internationally recognized, industry-transforming energy efficiency package that is leading the nation in energy efficiency policy. GGBP is designed to ensure that information about energy is provided to decision-makers and that the most cost-effective energy efficiency measures are pursued.
GGBP consists of four regulatory pieces supplemented by job training opportunities and a financing entity called the New York City Energy Efficiency Corporation (NYCEEC).The regulations include:
- Local Law 84: Benchmarking/LL133/2016: annual requirement to benchmark energy and water consumption of buildings greater than 25,000 sq. ft.
- Local Law 85: NYC Energy Conservation Code (NYCECC): New York City’s local energy code
- Local Law 87: Energy Audits & Retro-commissioning: conduct an energy audit and perform retro-commissioning once every 10 years
- Local Law 88: Lighting & Sub-metering: by 2025, the lighting in the non-residential space be upgraded to meet code, and submeter commercial tenants in spaces greater than 5,000 sq. ft.
The NYC Mayor’s Office of Climate and Environmental Justice works on a range of programs to improve the energy efficiency of buildings throughout New York City. This includes establishing public buildings as models of sustainability, strengthening requirements for new construction and renovation, and ensuring that benefits are equally shared throughout New York City. Our green building initiatives aim to make homes more affordable, improve air quality, and create a thriving market with new jobs and new businesses.
Learn more about our building policies.
Learn more about NYC Accelerator.
Learn more about financing.
Learn more about the Carbon Challenge.