Support Greening NYC’s Dirty Buildings

by Joan Hoffman with help of the CUNY Professional Staff Congress Environmental Justice Working Group

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YOU can support an important program to reduce New York City’s carbon footprint! Because New York City has the efficiency of a subway system, two thirds of New York City’s emissions can be traced to the City’s one million buildings. However, now two bills introduced to the City Council are designed to make a significant reduction in this footprint by requiring the retrofitting of the city’s largest buildings ( over 25000 sq. ft)  for fuel efficiency. Retrofitting these building, about 50,000 in number, can reduce emissions by 30%. Their emissions are to drop 40% by 2030 and 80% by 2040 (1). The first bill (int.1253-2018) requires the retrofitting for efficiency and substantially(2). The second (int. 1252-2018), establishes low cost loans for smaller landlords to enable them to meet the new standards(3).(see links below)

How can you help? You can encourage your City Council representative to support the bills and to fight for good jobs for local labor to do this work. Some City Council members have not signed on to support this bill yet and they are listed below. There is also a link to a list of all members and you can encourage them to support legislation calling for good local jobs for this retrofitting work (4). 

List of City Council Members not yet sponsoring the Bill.

Council District
9	Bill Perkins
12	Andy King
13	Mark Gjonaj
18	Ruben Diaz Sr
19	Paul Vallone
23	Barry Grodenchik
27	Daneek Miller
32	Eric Ulrich
42	Inez Barron
44	Kalman Yeger
48	Chaim Deutsch
50	Steven Matteo
51	Joseph Borelli

C
.Link to find your city council members. https://council.nyc.gov/districts

References: New York CityCommunities for Change, the People’s Climate Movement NY,

1. 
   Cullen, T. November 20,2018. Constantinides Announces Bill with Speaker Johnson to Significantly Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Large Buildings by 2030. The Council of the City of New York
   Council Member Costa Constantinides, District 22 downloaded from https://council.nyc.gov/costa-constantinides/2018/11/20/constantinides-announces-bill-with-speaker-johnson-to-significantly-reduce-greenhouse-gas-emissions-from-large-buildings-by-2030/
2. Link to int.1253   https://legistar.council.nyc.gov/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=3761078&GUID=  -E9B9-4B9F-B981-1BB2BB52A48
3. Link to int.1252  https://legistar.council.nyc.gov/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=3761079&GUID=6D07BB04-3355-4C2F-AC39-07C636842490&Options=&Search=
4. Link to organization fighting for good local jobs while retrofitting and greening New York City. https://alignny.org/campaign/climate-works-for-all/