New York City

NEW YORK CITY

In April, 2019, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced New York City’s own Green New Deal as “a bold and audacious plan to attack global warming on all fronts. It is comprised of $14 billion in new and committed investments, legislation and concrete action at the City level that will ensure a nearly 30 percent additional reduction in emissions by 2030, a total emissions reduction of 40 percent by 2030 and putting ourselves on track for full carbon neutrality by 2050.” Among many other commitments to health, jobs and transportation, the Green New Deal requires 50,000 buildings to cut their emissions through efficiencies, bans new inefficient glass-walled buildings, moves to bring Canadian hydro-power to create carbon-free electricity by 2025, makes organics recycling mandatory, reduces waste, and commits to a carbon neutral fleet by 2040. The City is also investing $20 billion in resiliency planning to protect the City from sea-level rise and other effects of climate change. See the full report here. 

The price of electricity in the New York City area is more than 40 percent higher than the national average, according to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics.

CURRENT NEWS

NYC rolls out new rules for looming cap on building emissions

By Janaki Chadha 09/13/23
The administration of Mayor Eric Adams rolled out long-awaited details Tuesday on how it will enforce a landmark 2019 law to cut building emissions — while allowing flexibility to owners who are out of compliance…
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Heat and Hurricanes: What Keeps the N.Y.C. Climate Chief Up at Night

By Hilary Howard 09/08/23
As New York City’s chief climate officer, Rohit T. Aggarwala oversees a slowly sinking metropolis surrounded by water, with an aging sewer system, little tree canopy, paved over natural resources, congestion, and over eight million…
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Officials say no dead animals, pet poop allowed in compost as bins roll out across NYC

By Sophia Chang 09/03/23
In New York City, residents can put meat scraps and bones into compost bins, but not their dead pets. They can compost used paper plates, but not kitty litter.
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New York City to Require More Zero-Emission Cars for Ridesharing

By Brandon Sapienza 08/16/23
Uber Inc., Lyft Inc. and other rideshare operators would be required to include only zero-emission or wheelchair-accessible vehicles in their New York City fleets by 2030, under a proposal by Mayor Eric Adams and the…
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This Northern Manhattan Wetland Has Faced Climate-Change-Induced Erosion and Sea Level Rise. A Living Shoreline Has Reimagined the Space

By Juanita Gordon 08/03/23
When the New York Restoration Project first started working in the late 1990s to clean the unnamed shoreline along the Harlem River in northern Manhattan, the intertidal mudflat and wetlands weren’t just a neglected area,…
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New York’s green revolution is almost here

By Kyle Chouinard 07/17/23
Northern wildfires blanket the five boroughs with dense plumes of acrid smoke. Flash flooding inundates the Hudson Valley and the Finger Lakes, shutting down roads and railways. Scientists warn that heat waves will scorch communities…
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New York City to Wrestle With Climate Change Flooding

By Eric Holdeman 06/19/23
If you look back to 2012’s Superstorm Sandy, that is the event that exposed the dangers of sea-level rise to New York City and its surrounding areas.
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‘The Power of Trees:’ Among the ‘Machines’ Fighting Climate Change

By James Barron 06/16/23
Adrian Benepe of the Brooklyn Botanic Garden believes in trees and is highlighting them in a new exhibit. And New York’s City Council is back on the ballot starting Saturday....
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New York City had plans to deal with climate change — but they didn’t involve wildfire smoke

By Evan Bush and Denise Chow 06/09/23
As smoke smothered New York City in a sepia haze, city and state officials scrambled to mount a response to the unhealthy air. They called news conferences, issued health advisories and handed out masks.
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NYC Mayor Eric Adams Blames Climate Change for ‘Accelerating’ Smoky Air

By Kaitlin Lewis 06/07/23
New York City Mayor Eric Adams told reporters at a briefing Wednesday morning that the city's air quality emergency is not the last time New Yorkers will experience an event like this, thanks to climate…
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Eric Adams, NYC health officials warn of poor air quality risks

By Annie MCDonough 06/07/23
New York City Mayor Eric Adams and a team of top city officials urged New Yorkers to limit outdoor activity whenever possible Wednesday as an eerie cloud of smoke from wildfires in Canada blanketed the…
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Trying to Breathe in a City of Smoke

By Carolyn Kormann 06/07/23
hen the smoke comes, you notice it in your body before you see it in the air. On Monday evening, I went for a run and then felt queasy and lethargic. Only on Tuesday did…
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PLANS TO ACCELERATE RENEWABLES

‘Getting 97 Done’: New York City Sets New guidelines for Local Law 97

09/11/23
Last week Mayor Eric Adams launched the “Getting 97 Done” plan, aimed at cutting harmful carbon emissions from the city’s large buildings. At the heart of this strategy is the implementation of Local Law 97,…

Big Reuse advances New York City’s sustainable urban environment through circular economy programs that divert waste from our landfills and reduce greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere

07/19/23
New York City sends 12 tons of waste to landfills every day, at serious cost to the quality of urban life. Efficiently managing our waste and keeping materials at their highest and best use is…

$70M facility unveiled in Brooklyn to raise amount of renewable energy in NYC

06/15/23
A new facility in Brooklyn is making a big push to use more renewable energy in New York City by using resources that are already easily accessible.

Roll the Dice, Save Gotham From Climate Catastrophe!

By Alyson Krueger 04/21/23
At a training facility for Consolidated Edison workers in Queens, there is a yard with electric poles where line workers can master climbing skills, a replica of the city’s underground electric structures for practice fixing…

Mayor Adams Releases “PlaNYC: Getting Sustainability Done,” New York City’s Strategic Climate Plan

04/20/23
New York City Mayor Eric Adams today released PlaNYC: Getting Sustainability Done, New York City’s long-term strategic climate plan that highlights efforts the city is taking to protect New Yorkers from climate threats, improve quality…

Mayor Adams Commits to Reducing City’s Food-Based Emissions by 33 Percent by 2030 After Releasing new Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory Incorporating Emissions From Food

04/17/23
New York City Mayor Eric Adams and Chief Climate Officer and New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Commissioner Rohit T. Aggarwala today released the city's first integrated greenhouse gas inventory, which incorporates emissions…

New York City Solar Energy Installations Set Another Record Last Year

02/17/23
Here's a ray of good news for co-op and condo boards and other building owners who are struggling to reduce their buildings' carbon emissions before Local Law 97 takes effect next year: solar energy, a…

New York City Reaches Milestone In Advancing Offshore Wind Vision Plan And Transitioning To Green Economy

02/02/23
As submissions for New York State Energy Research and Development Authority's (NYSERDA) third competitive offshore wind (OSW) solicitation close, New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) applauds Governor Kathy Hochul, NYSERDA, and Mayor Eric Adams…

Mayor Adams Signs two Pieces of Legislation — to Support Students With Disabilities Entering Higher Education, Build More Sustainable Future by Reducing Single-Use Plastic use

02/01/23
New York City Mayor Eric Adams today signed two pieces of legislation — the first to support high school students with disabilities as they transition to higher education and a second to reduce unnecessary waste…

Mayor Adams Announces Major Milestone in Project to “Daylight” Tibbetts Brook, Extends Putnam Greenway in Bronx

01/18/23
New York City Mayor Eric Adams today announced that the city has hit a key milestone in the project to uncover Tibbetts Brook and extend the Putnam Greenway in the Bronx. Following years of a…

New Project Will Develop Climate Action Plan to Ensure New York City Water Quality

01/13/23
Nearly three million dollars in federal funding will support a project implemented by Columbia University in partnership with New York City’s Watershed Agricultural Council. The funds will be used to develop a climate action plan…

Here’s how Canadian hydropower will power 1 million New York City homes from 2026

By Michelle Lewis | 09/21/22
The Champlain Hudson Power Express (CHPE), a high-voltage direct current (HVDC) line, will deliver 1,250 megawatts of clean electricity from Canada’s Hydro-Québec, the fourth-largest hydropower producer in the world, to New York City.

Mayor Adams Releases Rainfall Ready Nyc Action Plan, Preparing City Government And New Yorkers For More Extreme Rainfall

07/07/22
New York City Mayor Eric Adams, New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Commissioner Rohit T. Aggarwala, and New York City Emergency Management (NYCEM) Commissioner Zach Iscol today released the Rainfall Ready NYC action…

Microsoft and Jeff Bezos are backing this start-up that aims to retrofit millions of old buildings with ‘green’ energy

03/15/22
In a four-story apartment building in Brooklyn, New York, a very small company is implementing a very big idea: Electrify every building in the United States by leasing landlords the necessary equipment to make the…

Is This Finally the Year of the Electric Car?

03/11/22
Last summer, Hank Gutman, serving as New York’s transportation commissioner, encountered a couple in the Bronx who were charging their Nissan Leaf, running an extension cord out of their apartment window and across the sidewalk.…

Mayor Adams Announces Agreement to Transform South Brooklyn Marine Terminal Into Leading Offshore Wind Hub

03/03/22
New York City Mayor Eric Adams today announced an agreement that will transform the city-owned South Brooklyn Marine Terminal (SBMT) into one of the largest offshore wind port facilities in the nation. The agreement will…

Can Quebec’s Dams Power New York City? Blackstone Is Betting $4.5 Billion on It.

02/18/22
Construction is expected to begin this spring on one of the largest renewable energy projects in New York since Niagara Falls was harnessed for hydropower more than a half-century ago.

New York City is banning natural gas hookups for new buildings to fight climate change

12/15/21
The New York City Council on Wednesday voted to pass legislation banning the use of natural gas in most new construction, a move that will substantially slash climate-changing greenhouse gas emissions from the country’s most…

New York City Is Betting Big on Offshore Wind Turbines

09/29/21
New York City is making a big investment in renewable energy that will literally change the city’s landscape. Last week, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced plans for a $191 million investment in offshore wind turbines…

Rikers Island could become renewable energy hub

09/27/21
New York’s notorious jail on Rikers Island is expected to close by 2027. And the site could next be used to produce clean energy. New York’s city council has passed legislation calling for research on…

Mayor de Blasio Announces Offshore Wind Vision for New York City

09/23/21
Mayor de Blasio and New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) today announced a 15-year, $191 million Offshore Wind Vision (OSW) plan to make New York City a leading destination for the offshore wind industry.…

NYS selects 2 green energy projects for massive NYC decarbonization plan

09/21/21
City and state leaders hope that two green energy infrastructure projects will help decarbonize New York City into a greener future that moves them away from its reliance on fossil fuels, which fuels 85% of…

Renewable Energy Coming To Astoria Fossil Fuel Plant, Says Hochul

09/20/21
Gov. Kathy Hochul said on Monday that she would work to transition New York City from fossil fuels to renewable energy, pointing at a fossil fuel-burning plant in Astoria where a debate between gas and…

Climate Week: Major Green Energy Infrastructure Projects to Power New York City with new Wind, Solar and Hydropower

09/20/21
During Climate Week, Mayor Bill de Blasio and Governor Kathy Hochul today announced two major green energy infrastructure projects to power New York City with wind, solar and hydropower projects from upstate New York and…

Senate Bill S3521A

06/30/21
Relates to expanding customer access to community distributed generation

New York City Department of Environmental Protection partners with Arcadis to drive city-wide resilience

By Arcadis 06/18/21
Arcadis today announced its partnership with the New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to launch a $53 million program designed to engage property owners across the city with resiliency measures that improve local and…

New York Legislature Passes Cross-Utility Crediting for CDG Projects

By Peter Ross 06/16/21
On June 10, 2021, the New York legislature passed a bill allowing customers to subscribe to certain community distributed generation (CDG) projects sited outside of their utility service territory, a practice known as “cross-utility credits.

NYC Mayor Announces Step Forward Toward Purchase of Large-Scale Renewable Electricity

06/10/21
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced New York City has signed a letter of intent in partnership with the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority committing the City to pursuing a joint purchase…

Action on Global Warming: NYC’s Green New Deal

07/12/19
Mayor de Blasio announced New York City's Green New Deal, a bold and audacious plan to attack global warming on all fronts. It is comprised of $14 billion in new and committed investments, legislation and…

New York City’s Roadmap to 80×50

03/15/19
Climate change is an existential threat to our city, our country, and our planet. With the signing of the Paris Agreement in December 2015, 195 nations under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change…

Greener, Greater Buildings Plan

04/24/19
To reach its aggressive sustainability goals, New York City needs to do more than improve new construction and renovations. It has to proactively address energy waste in its existing structures, a problem that is difficult to tackle because…

KEY RESOURCES

Curbside Composting

08/23/23
The Curbside Composting program collects food scraps, food-soiled paper, and yard waste and turns it into compost or renewable energy.

Food Scraps and Yard Waste

06/16/23
One third of what New Yorkers throw away is food scraps and yard waste. Instead of sending it to landfills, we can use this waste to create compost and renewable energy.

New York City Residents Will Soon Have to Compost Their Food Scraps

06/08/23
On Thursday, the New York City Council approved a bill that will require New Yorkers to separate their food waste from regular trash, much as they already do with recyclable items.

Sea Level Rise in New York City

05/25/23
Over the last year, the Department of City Planning met with you and other community members from across the floodplain to discuss strategies to make buildings resilient to flooding. We heard many of you express…

New York League of Conservation Voters

06/16/22
NYLCV is the only statewide environmental organization in New York that fights for clean water, clean air, renewable energy and open space through political action. We’re non-partisan, pragmatic and effective...

New York City Panel on Climate Change 2019 Report Executive Summary

10/15/20
Cities and the communities who live in them are significantly impacted by climate shifts in both means and extremes. These are already affecting the New York metropolitan region and will increasingly do so in the…

Know Your Zone

06/11/20
Know Your Zone Is Your Destination For Everything You Need To Know About Hurricanes In New York City. You'll Find Information About The City's Hurricane Evacuation Zones, The Hazards You May Face From A Hurricane,…

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

06/11/20
Saving saltmarsh sparrows and their habitat in the face of sea-level rise.

Hey New York, are you flood-ready?

06/09/20
Learn about your flood zone and potential next steps.

The East Side Coastal Resiliency ProjectThe East Side Coastal Resiliency Project

02/05/20
The East Side Coastal Resiliency (ESCR) Project is a coastal protection initiative, jointly funded by the City of New York and the federal government, aimed at reducing flood risk due to coastal storms and sea…

LOCAL LAWS OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK FOR THE YEAR 2019

01/30/20
To amend the New York city building code, in relation to requiring that the roofs of certain buildings be partially covered in green roof or solar photovoltaic electricity generating systems

Local Laws Of The City Of New York For The Year 2019

01/30/20
To amend the administrative code of the city of New York and the New York city building code, in relation to requiring that the roofs of certain buildings be covered in green roofs or solar…

NYC COASTAL FLOOD ADAPTATION

01/30/20
Re: New York-New Jersey Harbor Tributaries Coastal Storm Risk Management Feasibility Study Interim Report.

WELCOME TO SOLAR ONE

01/30/20
Solar One is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization whose mission is to design and deliver innovative education, training, and technical assistance that fosters sustainability and resiliency in diverse urban environments.

NY & NJ Harbor & Tributaries Focus Area Feasibility Study (HATS)

01/30/20
Coastal storms have severely impacted the North Atlantic Coast of the United States, including the New York-New Jersey Harbor region.

NYC’s roofs are getting a sustainable makeover

01/22/20
It's been two months since New York's Sustainable Roof Laws, part of the Climate Mobilization Act, took effect. Now architects and officials must decide: Are green roof systems or solar systems best?

Lower Manhattan Coastal Resiliency Study

03/18/19
On March 14, 2019, the City of New York released the Lower Manhattan Climate Resilience Study, a comprehensive look at current and future climate risks and impacts on Lower Manhattan as a part of the…

1.5°C: Aligning New York City with the Paris Climate Agreement

03/15/19
On June 1, 2017, President Trump announced his intention to withdraw the United States from the Paris Climate Agreement (Paris Agreement), abdicating American leadership on climate change, one of the most significant challenges facing humanity.…

plaNYC Progress Report 2014

02/11/14
PlaNYC was a strategic plan released by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg in 2007 to prepare the city for one million more residents, strengthen the economy, combat climate change, and enhance the quality of…

Clean Energy Generation Program

10/02/19
Through the Clean Energy Program, DEM works to expand solar photovoltaic (PV) and other distributed energy resources across the City’s portfolio of buildings. The City has established a goal of installing 100MW of solar photovoltaic…

New York City Panel on Climate Change: NPCC 2019 Report

07/12/19
In March, the NPCC released Advancing Tools and Methods for Flexible Adaptation Pathways and Science Policy Integration, which reaffirms the 2015 NPCC projections as the projections of record for New York City.

Sea Level Rise: What is Expected for New York

07/12/19
Information on planning, risks, legislation, and the Sea Level Rise Task Force.

New York City Climate Resiliency Design Guidelines

07/12/19
In April 2018, New York City released new Climate Resiliency Design Guidelines that apply to all City capital projects, aside from coastal protection projects. The guidelines direct planners, engineers, architects, and others involved in project…

NYC Mayor’s Office of Resiliency

07/12/19
The Mayor’s Office of Resiliency (MOR) strives to adapt New York City to the unprecedented challenge of climate change, creating a more resilient, equitable and vibrant city for the New Yorkers of today and generations…

OneNYC 2050

07/12/19
OneNYC 2050 is a strategy to secure our city’s future against the challenges of today and tomorrow. With bold actions to confront our climate crisis, achieve equity, and strengthen our democracy, we are building a…

New York City Enacts Greenhouse Gas Emission Limits for Major Buildings

05/02/19
On April 22, 2019, the New York City Council celebrated Earth Day by enacting the “Climate Mobilization Act” into law. The centerpiece of this important legislative package is Introduction 1253-2018 (“Intro 1253”). This local law…

How New York City is preparing for climate change

04/29/19
In 2008, New York City's Mayor Bloomberg brought together leading climate scientists, academics and members of the private sector to advise the city on adapting to the impacts of climate change. This group, called the…

The NYC Retrofit Accelerator

04/24/19
The NYC Retrofit Accelerator offers free, personalized advisory services that streamline the process of making energy efficiency improvements to your building that will reduce operating costs, enhance tenant comfort, and improve our environment.

New York City Panel on Climate Change Releases 2019 Report

03/15/19
The New York City Panel on Climate Change has been helping NYC prepare for climate change since 2008. Its 2019 report, released today, finds that climate change is increasingly present in everyday New York. Extreme weather events are…

MORE NEWS

New York’s skyscrapers are causing it to sink – what can be done about it?

By Tom Ough   05/24/23  
On 27 September 1889, workers put the finishing touches to the Tower Building. It was an 11-storey building that, thanks to its steel skeleton structure, is thought of as New York City's first skyscraper. The…
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New York City Is Sinking. It’s Far From Alone

By Matt Simon   05/23/23  
Add up the million or so buildings in New York City, and you get something on the order of 1.7 trillion pounds of weight pressing on the earth—and that’s not even counting all the other…
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New York City’s skyscrapers are sinking the city — and climate change can make things worse

By Sebastián Rodríguez   05/20/23  
New York City is sinking under the weight of its skyscrapers, new research shows, which could put its population of more than 8 million people at an increased risk of coastal flooding.
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NYC skyscrapers turning to carbon capture to lessen climate change

By Cathy Bussewitz   05/15/23  
From the outside, the residential high-rise on Manhattan’s Upper West Side looks pretty much like any other luxury building: A doorman greets visitors in a spacious lobby adorned with tapestry and marble.
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NYC plans 50 new electric car charging ports, a boon for non-Tesla EV owners

By Stephen Nessen   05/02/23  
Plans for dozens of new charging ports will make it easier for electric car owners to get some juice, especially those who do not drive a Tesla.
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National Grid plans to hike gas bills by 17%, files plan with regulators

By Christian Murray   04/29/23  
The company filed its proposed rate increases on Friday with the New York State Public Service Commission, the governing body that must sign off on them before they can go into effect. The proposal calls…
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Climate Exchange hub anchored by Stony Brook University seen as a boost for clean-energy economy

By Carol Polsky and Matthew Chayes   04/29/23  
A little island in New York Harbor long used for military defenses will soon house new defenders of the coastline: researchers, students and workforce trainees looking for solutions to climate change.
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Stony Brook University Selected as Anchor Institution by NYC for World-leading Climate Center on Governors Island

04/24/23  
Leading New York Philanthropies Simons Foundation and Bloomberg Philanthropies Pledge $150 Million in Combined Support for Stony Brook-Led “The New York Climate Exchange”
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How rising sea levels will affect New York City, America’s most populous city

ByJulia Jacobo and Sam Suzuki   04/19/23  
New York City is among the most densely populated coastal communities in the world preparing for an inevitable rise in sea levels, which scientists said will amplify flooding crises from events such as thunderstorms, high…
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New York’s New Mayor Has Assembled a Seasoned Climate Team. Now, the Real Work Begins

By Laila Gad   04/01/23  
Just over a year after challenging an incoming New York mayor to become a global leader in the fight against climate change, the head of the New York League of Conservation Voters says Eric Adams…
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Inside a $110M plan to turn NYC apartments into virtual power plants

By Jeff St. John   03/28/23  
In New York City, the path to decarbonization runs through apartments. The city has more than 2 million rental housing units, most in high-rise or multistory buildings. Buildings at large account for nearly three-quarters of…
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Mayor Adams wants NYC to mandate curbside recycling of yard waste

By Gwynne Hogan   03/27/23  
New York City Mayor Eric Adams wants to make it mandatory for people to separate their leaf and yard waste, according to a proposed change to city rules published Monday morning.
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Weeds in the Winter and Blooms in January — Climate Change Hits NYC’s Gardens and Parks

By Samantha Maldonado   03/27/23  
Staff at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden were cutting grass in February, something they don’t normally start doing until much later. At the Queens Botanical Garden, gardener Colin Kirk pulled weeds throughout the winter. He opened…
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New York will demolish and elevate a waterfront park to fight floods, angering some neighbors

By Emma Newburger   03/25/23  
Wagner Park, a cherished waterfront greenspace in Battery Park City, boasts unobstructed views of the Statue of Liberty and New York Harbor. Built nearly 30 years ago, the park has served as an escape for…
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Could This Be New York City’s Least Snowy Winter in Recorded History?

By Francesca Paris   03/24/23  
New York City’s springlike winter is on track to set a record: the least snowy season on the books. It’s likely, though by no means guaranteed, that the city will fall short of the lowest…
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Kelp Farming May Help Clean Polluted Waterways and Fight Climate Change

By Samantha Maldonado   03/22/23  
Paddling their boat in a creek inlet in Greenpoint, Shanjana Mahmud and Luke Eddins, volunteers with the Newtown Creek Alliance, headed to a series of yellow buoys.
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What Does a Black Vulture Over Manhattan Mean for Climate Change?

By Camille Baker   03/18/23  
If you need proof that climate change has altered the wildlife of the city, look no further than the black vultures soaring above Midtown Manhattan. These hulking, baldheaded scavengers have a wingspan that measures nearly…
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New York City begins its climate change reckoning on the Lower East Side, the hard way

By Delaney Dryfoos   03/13/23  
Next to the Brooklyn Bridge, on an unassuming red brick building, a preserved chalk line serves as a permanent reminder of the 14-foot waves from Hurricane Sandy that inundated Lower Manhattan in October 2012, closed…
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What’s Holding Up New York’s Climate Progress? Apartment Buildings

By Stefanos Chen and Winston Choi-Schagrin   03/10/23  
Many New York apartment buildings have less than a year to get in line with an ambitious climate mandate, or risk facing millions of dollars in penalties....
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What’s Holding Up New York’s Climate Progress? Apartment Buildings.

By Stefanos Chen and Winston Choi-Schagrin   03/10/23  
Craig Hart is troubled by a multimillion-dollar puzzle: How to get his condo building to conform with the city’s sweeping new climate law before potentially steep penalties begin next year.
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$52.6 billion is needed to protect the NYC area from coastal storms, according to a new plan proposed by the Army Corps of Engineers

By Lindsey Jacobson   03/04/23  
$52.6 billion. That’s how much the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers thinks it will take to protect the New York City area from coastal storms.
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NYC, LI among metropolitan areas most likely to feel negative impacts of climate change, study says

02/24/23  
A new study shows some parts of our area are at risk of facing negative impacts of climate change. Here's a list of the top ten areas most at risk according to "Moody's Analytics"...
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Time to Create a Fast Lane for Zero-Emission Vehicles in New York; Here’s How

By Eric Rothman, Ignacio Montojo, & Hayley Prim   02/21/23  
In late January, Mayor Adams announced a bold and exciting goal to require New York City’s for-hire vehicle fleet to reach zero emissions by 2030. This was a welcome step forward, considering the goal is…
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Indoor Pollutant Concentrations Are Significantly Lower in Homes Without a Gas Stove, Nonprofit Finds

By Delaney Dryfoos and Victoria St. Martin   02/14/23  
One day in April 2019, Ángela Norales, a public housing tenant at 1471 Watson Ave. in the Bronx, went to the hospital complaining of shortness of breath. When she arrived, her doctors told her she…
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Proposal for New York City sea walls unveiled by the Army Corps of Engineers

By John Tejada   02/11/23  
“We think there are enough coastal storm risks in these regions, downtown Manhattan, East Harlem that we should do something,” said Bryce Wisemiller, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers New York District. “And these are our…
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Our City Could Become One of the World’s Greenest, but It Won’t Be Easy

By Paul Greenberg and Gernot Wagner   02/07/23  
Rules are being drafted to guide compliance with a 2019 New York City law that requires most of about 50,000 buildings, many over 25,000 square feet, to cut their greenhouse gas emissions by 40 percent…
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New York City Government Struggles to Advance Sustainability Goals

By Steve Cohen   02/06/23  
There is always a large gap between public policy pronouncements and public management accomplishments. Policy goals pretend to provide answers and solutions when, in fact, public policy never solves problems or provides a comprehensive solution.…
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How New York City’s Trees and Shrubs Help Clear Its Air

By Winston Choi-Schagrin   01/19/23  
Andrew Reinmann looked past the buildings on a recent afternoon in Harlem and focused instead on the trees. Along St. Nicholas Terrace, Dr. Reinmann noted rows of London planes and oaks embedded in cement. In…
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Rising Groundwater Threatens New York City — Researchers to Study How Much

By Samantha Maldonado   01/18/23  
Groundwater is lurking as an under-the-radar threat in coastal New York City, but officials stopped 50 years of routine monitoring in 2013. Now, environmental agencies are starting to take a deep look again.
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The New York Harbor now teems with life. Thank the Clean Water Act.

By John Waldman   12/30/22  
Dr. Waldman is a professor of biology at Queens College and the author of “Heartbeats in the Muck: The History, Sea Life, and Environment of New York Harbor.”
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Snow go for NYC’s electric garbage trucks that can’t handle winter weather

By Sophia Chang   12/27/22  
Don’t count on seeing electric garbage trucks plowing snow from city streets any time soon. The city Department of Sanitation's goals to become carbon neutral are clashing with the limits of electric-powered vehicles. The department…
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Long-delayed project to convert compost, waste into gas for NYC homes slated to launch in January

By Sophia Chang   12/09/22  
A long-delayed project to convert organic waste into natural gas for heating fuel at the city’s Newtown Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant is on track to launch as early as next month, according to sources with…
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Major NYC climate law in jeopardy as 400 people virtually crash buildings meeting

By Rosemary Misdary   11/16/22  
Hundreds of people crashed what would have been a routine Department of Buildings meeting to draw attention to proposals by the New York City mayor that they say could gut a landmark piece of climate…
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New York City Is Using More Green Energy. But It Has a Storage Problem.

By Kaya Laterman   11/03/22  
This fall, when students returned to the Junior High School 144 complex in the Pelham Gardens section of the Bronx, most of them probably didn’t notice that the odd, triangular-shaped parking lot across the street…
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NYC secures federal grant to roll out 51 all-electric school buses, Mayor Adams pushes for more

By Chris Sommerfeldt   11/02/22  
New York City’s yellow school buses are going green — or at least some of them. Dozens of all-electric school buses are about to hit city streets thanks to funding from President Biden’s infrastructure package,…
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Queens curbside organics pilot diverts 1 million pounds of waste in just two weeks

By Ben Brachfeld   10/19/22  
The city’s universal curbside organics collection pilot in Queens has yielded more than 1 million pounds of food and yard waste in just two weeks of operation, diverting the refuse from landfills to instead be…
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Food waste solutions

By Clare Toeniskoetter   10/14/22  
I recently hosted a backyard barbecue at my apartment in Brooklyn. I put out three containers for waste: A trash can, a recycling bin and a compost bin. As my friends helped me clean up…
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A Brooklyn neighborhood’s long fight for green jobs is paying off

By Maria Gallucci   10/13/22  
A sprawling concrete lot overlooks the blue-gray bay in Brooklyn, New York, a smattering of weeds bursting through the cracks in the pavement. Cargo ships and orange ferries breeze by the lot’s empty piers. Behind…
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Governor Hochul Announces Progress toward Implementing Utility Thermal Energy Network and Jobs Act to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions

09/15/22  
Governor Kathy Hochul today announced that the New York State Public Service Commission initiated a proceeding to implement the Utility Thermal Energy Network and Jobs Act, which will advance efforts to decarbonize buildings across the…
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A Plan to Push Cars Out of Manhattan Could Make the Bronx’s Air Dirtier

By Ana Ley   09/12/22  
The plan to put tolls on drivers on Manhattan’s busiest streets is intended to spare New York City’s central business district from pollution and gridlock while raising money for public transit. But while some of…
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New York City is looking at ‘Band-Aid’ solutions to extreme weather in the near future

By Annie McDonough   08/16/22  
One month ago, a 20-foot deep sinkhole opened on Radcliff Avenue in the Bronx, swallowing a parked van. No one was hurt in the incident, but water service was temporarily cut for 70 homes in…
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Composting in NYC is hard. Cyclists and a pug named Rocky are helping.

By Meghan McDonough and Others   08/10/22  
Lillian Summers grows rosemary, daikon and curly kale in a formerly abandoned lot in Bedford-Stuyvesant, powered by recycled food waste. By chopping up a balance of nitrogen-rich kitchen scraps, or “greens,” and carbon-rich materials like…
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These hurricane flood maps reveal the climate future for Miami, NYC and D.C.

By Jenny Staletovich and Others   07/28/22  
As climate change warms the planet, drives up sea levels and energizes hurricanes, the arsenal of dangerous impacts delivered by the fierce storms is expected to get supercharged. Among the most worrisome: powerful flooding from…
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Something All Five Borough Presidents Agree On: The Million More Trees Initiative

By Carlos Castell Croke   06/09/22  
It’s rare to see borough presidents working together, but there is one initiative that all five can get behind– trees. In February, Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine introduced a new project alongside Vanessa Gibson of…
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NYC wants more rooftop solar. Its fire code is getting in the way.

By Zoya Teirstein   05/19/22  
In 2014, former Mayor Bill de Blasio’s office announced an ambitious new climate target: 80 percent fewer emissions city wide by 2050. In order to reach that goal, the city aims to install 1,000 megawatts…
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Strengthening New York City’s Natural Areas to Tackle Unemployment and Climate Change

By Eli Dvorkin   03/17/22  
New York City’s 20,000 acres of natural areas have been a lifeline for New Yorkers throughout the pandemic and form the first line of defense against the harms of climate change. But decades of underinvestment…
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Federal grant spurs Flushing Meadows Corona Park resiliency plan

By Ari Ephraim Feldman   03/17/22  
An initiative to begin a climate resiliency study for Flushing Meadows Corona Park in Queens received a half-million dollar grant in the latest congressional spending bill, which was signed into law Tuesday.
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Can oysters save New York City from the next big storm?

By Clark Mindock   03/17/22  
On a recent Saturday afternoon, diners at the Brooklyn restaurant Grand Army slurped oysters drizzled in mignonette and lemon juice against a soundtrack of hip-hop classics and funk. Unbeknown to many of them, they were…
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Green Spaces Fight Climate Change in Cities. This Brooklyn Neighborhood Has Been Left Behind

03/16/22  
The Southside of Williamsburg in New York City’s Brooklyn borough lacks green space, putting its residents at increased risk of the negative impacts of climate change, from flooding to air pollution. NBCLX contributor Meghan McDonough…
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How Green Spaces Protect City Residents From Climate Change

By Meghan MCDonough   03/16/22  
Activists in Brooklyn's Southside of Williamsburg are fighting to get more green spaces in their neighborhood to reduce the impact of climate change on residents.
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