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

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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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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PLANS TO ACCELERATE RENEWABLES

EDC

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…
AD

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

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

Take One Last Look at the (Many) Plastic Bags of New York

By Annalisa Quinn   02/28/20  
With a new state ban going into effect, we bid farewell to the purple flower, the smiley face and the THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU designs that have adorned city life for decades.
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NYC bans all fossil fuel projects

02/07/20  
Local organizer, Dominique Thomas, explains below We did it! Moments ago, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced a ban on all new fossil fuel projects in New York City. New York City’s ban on fossil fuel projects is the…
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NYC’s roofs are getting a sustainable makeover

By Cailley LaPara   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?
Read more

The Sea Wall That Trump Calls ‘Foolish’

By Azi Paybarah   01/21/20  
When Hurricane Sandy hit New York in 2012, homes in Staten Island, Queens and Brooklyn were destroyed. Lower Manhattan was flooded and thrown into darkness. Seventy-two people in the city died.
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The Politics and Cost of Adapting to Climate Change in New York City

01/21/20  
It’s not clear what might place climate adaptation on our national agenda, but it’s less costly to anticipate and avoid disaster than recover from it. ...
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The $119 Billion Sea Wall That Could Defend New York … or Not

By Anne Barnard   01/17/20  
Picture a storm charging toward New York City, pushing a surge of seawater like the one that flooded the region during Hurricane Sandy. But this time, man-made islands with retractable gates stretch from the Rockaways…
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Is NYC Actually Recycling and Composting Its Waste?

By Brian Lehrer   01/13/20  
Each year, businesses and homes in New York City generate millions of tons of trash. Danielle Muoio, City Hall reporter for POLITICO New York, breaks down her reporting on how little waste ends up getting…
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Moving Toward Sustainable Energy in New York City

12/23/19  
It is the leadership that we are seeing from New York’s government and institutions today that will help ensure that the cost structure of New York City’s energy will be able to compete with enlightened…
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Water Management and Sustainability in New York City

12/19/19  
The final Speaker Series talk of the semester detailed how NYC’s Department of Environmental Protection manages the city’s various water resources, ranging from drinking water to wastewater. ...
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NY1

MTA Deploys First All-Electric Bus Fleet to 14th Street Busway

By Lydia Hu   12/15/19  
A brand new electric bus made its first trip through 14th Street on Sunday morning. It’s one of 15 all-electric articulated buses added to the M14 route.
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MTA Launches NYC Flood Control Tests, States ‘Climate Change Is Real’

11/22/19  
The Metropolitan Transit Authority in New York City tested out a new system designed to protect its subways stations from flooding when another super storm hits,...
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How a Rooftop Meadow of Bees and Butterflies Shows N.Y.C.’s Future

By Anne Barnard   10/27/19  
A Greenpoint building is part of a push to combat climate change and make the city more welcoming to wildlife.
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Out on the Farm With SEE-U NYC

10/11/19  
This summer, the Summer Ecosystem Experiences for Undergraduates gave students an in-depth look at the food systems in and around NYC. ...
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Extinction Rebellion Stages ‘Die-In’ at Iconic Wall Street Bull Statue

10/08/19  
Protestors in New York City expressed their dismay with the government's and big businesses' slow response to the climate crisis by pouring fake blood on themselves...
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Hurricane Sandy May Have Worsened Gentrification in Brooklyn and Queens

10/03/19  
A study finds evidence for land speculation in Coney Island and the Rockaways, in some of the neighborhoods hardest-hit by the storm. ...
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New York City To Consider Norway-Style Bill To Budget Climate Emissions Like Finances

By Alexander C. Kaufman   09/25/19  
It's the latest in a wave of local climate legislation in the Big Apple. ...
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Could Massive Storm Surge Barriers End the Hudson River’s Revival?

BY ELIZABETH ROYTE   09/24/19  
On a sunny afternoon, John Lipscomb steered the 22-foot vessel Ian Fletcher past the rip-rapped, industrialized shoreline of South Brooklyn and into the vastness of New York Harbor, where the Hudson River meets the sea.
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NYC Public Schools to Excuse Climate Strikers

09/17/19  
The New York City public schools will allow their 1.1 million students to skip school for Friday's global climate strike, The New York Times reported Monday....
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How Climate Change Threatens NYC’s Transportation Infrastructure

09/04/19  
Environmental Science and Policy alum Susanne DesRoches has testified before Congress on how to build resiliency in roadways and public transit. ...
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How New York City Is Turning Its Thousands of Roofs Into Power Providers

By Patrick McGeehan   07/10/19  
In April, NYC Council passed an ordinance to require "most new buildings to be topped with solar panels or roofs covered in grass or other vegetation". In June, the country’s largest array of solar panels…
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A ‘Climate Emergency’ Was Declared in New York City. Will That Change Anything?

By Anne Barnard   07/05/19  
New York City, the world capital of ambition, has never been shy about grandiose declarations. The City Council has passed or proposed resolutions demanding world peace, banning a racist slur and condemning all manner of…
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De Blasio’s Zero Waste Plan Languishes With Composting Expansion On Hold, Critics Say

By Gwynne Hogan   06/25/19  
At an Earth Day press conference four years ago, Mayor Bill de Blasio pledged New York City would send zero waste to landfills by 2030, in part by scaling up an aggressive composting program to turn food…
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The ‘Circular Economy’ Rolls Into New York City

By Anne Kadet   06/18/19  
Some companies that focus on recycling and re-use say it’s tough to get most consumers to participate, but they’re ‘on the path to profitability’
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What the NYC green act taught city planners

By Karen Regn   06/13/19  
New York City’s landmark Climate Mobilization Act is focusing attention on the world’s biggest carbon emissions “blind spot”. But opposition from the real estate lobby highlights the need for broader engagement and buy-in from key…
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Michael Bloomberg Promises $500 Million to Help End Coal

By Lisa Friedman   06/06/19  
Michael R. Bloomberg, the former mayor of New York City, said on Friday he would donate $500 million to a new campaign to close every coal-fired power plant in the United States and halt the…
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Institutionalizing Sustainability in New York City Government

05/28/19  
Since the city’s term-limited mayor will be replaced by someone else, how do we assure that sustainability policy will continue to be implemented? ...
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National Grid says no new NYC gas customers until state approves pipeline

By Iulia Gheorghiu   05/22/19  
New York has been undergoing several decarbonization efforts in the transportation, heating and power sectors. However, while utilities have been encouraged to focus on non-pipeline infrastructure solutions, slowing down the conversion of customers to natural…
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American Climate Rebels Episode 5: New York City: Towards a zero carbon, zero waste city

05/12/19  
Working class waterfront communities in New York City have been fighting for environmental justice for decades through groups such as UPROSE, the longest standing Puerto Rican community organisation in Brooklyn. Superstorm Sandy marked a watershed…
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How Banning Plastic Bags Could Help New York Mitigate Climate Change

05/09/19  
While the plastic bag ban can be good for the environment, the policies need to be carefully considered to ensure its effectiveness. ...
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New York City aims to power its government with 100% renewable energy in 5 years

By Jared Anderson   04/23/19  
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio wants to power city government operations with 100% clean energy within five years, with much of the supply sourced through a contract with Hydro Quebec as part of…
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New York City’s Newly Passed Green New Deal, Explained

By Molly Enking   04/18/19  
As the rest of the country continues to go back and forth over the possibility of a nationwide Green New Deal, New York City is forging ahead with its own version. The Climate Mobilization Act…
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April 18, 2019: New York Passes Mandatory Green Roof Legislation

By Linda Velazquez   04/18/19  
Green Roofs for Healthy Cities shares the historic win for all New Yorkers as well as the larger green infrastructure community: Today, April 18, 2019 at 1:30 pm EST time the New York City Council…
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Big Buildings Hurt the Climate. New York City Hopes to Change That.

By William Neuman   04/17/19  
New York City is about to embark on an ambitious plan to fight climate change that would force thousands of large buildings, like the Empire State Building and Trump Tower, to sharply reduce their greenhouse…
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New York City Panel on Climate Change Releases 2019 Report

By Earth Institute   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…
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Climate Change: How Can Manhattan be Protected? Make It Bigger

By William Neuman and Jeffery C. Mays   03/14/19  
After Hurricane Sandy flooded Lower Manhattan and caused massive damage to the city’s financial center, climate scientists agreed it was only a matter of time before a new superstorm would bring the same kind of…
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My New Plan to Climate-Proof Lower Manhattan

By Bill de Blasio   03/13/19  
New York City, the world capital of ambition, has never been shy about grandiose declarations. The City Council has passed or proposed resolutions demanding world peace, banning a racist slur and condemning all manner of…
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Federal government backs oil companies fighting NYC climate suit

By Karen Savage   03/11/19  
The Trump administration is supporting the five oil companies being sued by New York City to pay for damages related to climate change, filing a friend-of-the-court brief asking the Second Circuit Court of Appeals to…
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Staten Island’s five-mile seawall will move forward with federal funding

By Amy Plitt   02/19/19  
The seawall will be carried out by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and New York state
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Revamped East Side flood protection plan debated at packed City Council hearing

By Sydney Pereira   01/24/19  
As the city retools its resilient park plan, community members fume over lack of involvement.
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Sandy in NYC: A look at its size, strength and the damage it caused

By Nicole Brown   10/29/18  
3 landfalls: Sandy first made landfall on the island of Jamaica on Oct. 24, 2012, as a Category 1 hurricane. It strengthened to a Category 3 hurricane, meaning it had winds more than 110 mph,…
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A Solar Movement Grows in New York City

By Brian Eckhouse   10/22/18  
The Big Apple is less than ideal for solar, but that hasn’t stopped it’s slow, steady growth.
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New York City Could See Thousands of Heat Deaths by 2080

By Umair Irfan   06/23/16  
The report comes at the same time as a separate analysis tracing climate change and air pollution’s effects on children. Together the studies, both out of Columbia University, lay out the case for cutting carbon…
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EDF

NYC to Explore Options for 100% Renewable Energy in City Buildings

07/09/15  
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio today announced plans to explore options for using 100 percent renewable energy to power city government buildings.
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City building a 4.5-mile wall of dunes, with 7,000 sand bags, to protect Rockaway

By Lisa L. Colangelo   06/18/13  
The city is creating a massive line of sand dunes to help protect the Rockaway shoreline from future storms, Parks Department officials said Tuesday.
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Russian Flood Barrier Is a Model for New York City

By Mark Fischetti   06/10/13  
Ever since Hurricane Sandy’s 3.3-meter sea surge drowned parts of New York City on October 29, 2012, scientists and engineers have been scrambling to devise a plan to protect the city against future storms.
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Is It Time to Add Land to NYC? Introducing “Lower Lower Manhattan”

By Alex Davies   04/21/12  
Lower Manhattan is one of the densest areas in the world, a forest of skyscrapers, teeming with residents, commuters and tourists. It's an economic powerhouse: the Financial District and Midtown provide the majority of New…
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All About NYC’s Historic Building Emissions Law

04/18/19  
On May 18, the City of New York enacted Local Law 97 of 2019—the most ambitious climate legislation for buildings enacted by any city in the world.
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NYC passes sweeping ‘Climate Mobilization Act’

By Chris Teale   04/22/19  
The New York City Council passed wide-ranging legislation to fight climate change known as the "Climate Mobilization Act," a package of seven bills that supporters said would help build a "Green New Deal for New York…
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NYC mayor has a $10 billion plan to protect Manhattan from rising seas

By Angela Chen   03/14/19  
New York City mayor Bill de Blasio announced a huge climate-focused infrastructure effort on Thursday, calling for a project that could, among other things, extend lower Manhattan two blocks into the East River and cost as…
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Climate Change Of Plans: City Will Not Completely Close East River Park For 3 Years To Make It More Resilient

By Christopher Robbins   10/02/19  
The city has amended its plan to shut down all 45 acres of the park starting this spring, and instead will phase in the construction so only portions of the park are closed to the…
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