New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio has introduced the city's $14 billion Green New Deal as part of a plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 30% by 2030, according to www.constructiondive.com. The measures include a ban on all-glass skyscrapers.
De Blasio outlined his goals in the "OneNYC 2050: Building a Strong and Fair City" strategy report. The city's actions will include investing in construction of community parks and development of open spaces; creating or preserving 300,000 affordable housing units by 2026; passing new emissions legislation for buildings more than 25,000 square feet in size; advancing resilient construction projects; installing 1 million square feet of heat-resistant rooftop coatings; and updating building codes to combat the effects of sea level rise. The overall initiative mandates all new buildings must have roofs topped with plants, solar panels or wind turbines.
De Blasio also wants owners of existing buildings to retrofit their structures and make them more environmentally friendly; if they do not comply with the mayor's 2030 goals, they could face fines of $1 million or more. Under a measure passed April 18, New York City will require owners of existing buildings to make their lighting, heating and cooling, and insulation systems more energy-efficient. The total cost of making these changes could reach $4 billion, but city officials say they expect building owners to recoup some of the costs through energy savings. Owners of large buildings—more than 25,000 square feet—must reduce their emissions by 40% by 2030 and 80% by 2050.
