Our Priority for 2018: Creating Good Jobs to Fight

NYC’s Climate Pollution

Energy use in buildings generates about 70% of NYC’s massive climate pollution footprint. Old, inefficient buildings need to be overhauled and upgraded to reach modern energy efficiency standards, which creates thousands of new jobs.

We’re lobbying and pushing Mayor de Blasio and the Council hard to require all large buildings to upgrade to high energy efficiency.

The Mayor introduced his proposal in September of 2017, which we blasted because it is far too weak since it cuts the city’s climate pollution by only 7%. NYCC organized a protest the day of the Mayor’s announcement with our environmental and housing group allies, generating media coverage and getting the Mayor and Council’s attention. Since then, we’ve stopped his proposal in the Council, demanding that it be greatly strengthened to slash climate pollution and create good, union jobs hiring locally – and without threatening affordable housing.

Right now we are preparing a campaign to push the Council to pass our legislation in 2018. Even with the deep-pocketed real estate industry lobbying hard against us, we’re dragging them kicking and screaming in the right direction. It’s going to be a fight in 2018.