Apr 22, 2009 4:08 pm US/Eastern
Bloomberg Announces NYC Green Buildings Initiative
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
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Mayor Michael Bloomberg (file)
CBS
Millions of people around the world are celebrating on this Earth Day. Mayor Bloomberg used the occasion to announce an aggressive new plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in New York City.
At the center of the initiative is new legislation that will change the way big buildings operate.
Now, New York is known for big buildings, but those big buildings account for nearly 80 percent of the City's total carbon emissions.
"While many people think of green buildings as being new buildings, the fact is that making existing buildings more energy efficient is the key challenge for our economic and environmental health," Bloomberg said.
The mayor, along with City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, unveiled a plan to improve the energy efficiency of existing buildings and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by creating the New York City Energy Code.
"Anytime a renovation takes place in one of New York City's one million buildings , this work would be required to conform to a set of easily-applied standards," Quinn said.
Green standards are outlined in the code and three other new bills, and will require:
* buildings 50,000 thousand square feet or more to upgrade lighting systems to be more energy efficient
complete energy audits once every ten years
building owners submit to a yearly analysis of energy consumption
Several New Yorkers are welcoming the improvements. "I understand from the building perspective it's going to cost a little bit more money but I think in the long run it's going to be better off for them, better off for everyone," Queens resident Anny Buakaew said.
"Definitely a good thing," said Bobby Wist of Holbrook.
The Mayor says his green initiatives will reduce citywide carbon emissions by at least 5 percent and cut energy costs by $750 million each year.
"That should help us and give us good health," said Ruthven Gray of Far Rockaway.
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