(Office of Costa Constantinides/ Twitter)
Aug. 21,, 2018 By Tara Law
Councilmember Costa Constantinides stood on the steps of City Hall Monday to advocate for legislation that would mandate the retrofitting of large New York City buildings to make them more energy-efficient.
Constantinides, the Chair of the Committee on Environmental Protection, wants to pass bills based on proposals put forward by Mayor Bill de Blasio and the Urban Green Council, a non-profit think tank dedicated to making New York City buildings more sustainable.
De Blasio, aided by Constantinides, put forward a comprehensive proposal in September 2017 that calls for large-scale building owners to sharply reduce greenhouse gas emissions from their large properties by 2030.
Meanwhile, the Urban Green Council released its proposal last week— titled “Blueprint for Efficiency”— that provides a policy framework for reducing building emissions by 2020.
The Blueprint proposal includes a metric to set emissions targets for individual buildings, plans for less-efficient buildings and a requirement for city-owned buildings to hit the target five years earlier than other buildings.
Constantinides said that although the proposals provide a clear rubric for action, and that the city must still craft a bill based on them. He called for the city to become a “model” for other urban areas as they look for ways to fight climate change.
“While there may have been past disagreements, we are unified in the belief that New York City faces new dangers from Mother Nature,” Constantinides said. “We are walking down this path together now, and as we have seen already, tremendous things can happen when we listen to one another. I’m going to keep that collaborative spirit alive, engaging our varied stakeholders, as we turn some of these recommendations into law.”
Various city officials expressed their support for the proposals to go through the legislative process, including Majority Leader Corey Johnson and Mark Chambers, director of the Mayor’s office of Sustainability.
“Now is the time for bold steps to modernize how our buildings consume energy,” Chambers said. “Climate change is a dire threat—and it’s only getting worse. We know what’s at stake and we’re moving full-steam ahead to improve the health and well-being of our city and our environment.”
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11 Comments
I walk by Ditmars park and I see people openly drinking while children play. I walk by Broadway and I see homeless people camped out by Chase bank. Every other weekend there is a shooting on Steinway st by the hookah places.
Costa Constantinides please help.
All I smell is weed when walking around Astoria and it makes me sick. I am tired of it and I wish they would set designated areas where they were allowed to smoke it like Astoria Park away from homes! I lived here for over 40 yrs and I cant wait until retirement to sell my home and move!
This guy is a joke! Focus on the real issues!!! What is he doing about the increased crime & homeless people in Astoria?????
I live near Athen’s Square on 30th Ave. For decades there are noxious fumes that blow into my windows. It causes dizziness and sometimes makes it hard to breathe. Where is it coming from? It’s obviously from some building’s exhaust, but DEP was unable to figure out which one. We need specific audits of buildings, not just for energy purposes, but to eliminate the poison that they are emitting into our air–the same air that the kids in the school next to Athen’s Square breathe. We’ve also seen Astoria buildings with dirty boilers spewing black smoke into the winter sky, and we shouldn’t put up with this any more.
Move!!
Very good! Now what is going to be done about planes flying over our homes and schools, every 35 seconds, 24/7? The smell and taste of jet fuel is disgusting! The city leases the land to the PA. , the city has control over this situation as well.
How am I supposed to get the Hamptons, ride the bus?! My Pomeranian couldn’t deal with the stress. A little jet fuel builds character, stop whining.
I live on the top floor in a house in the Ditmars area. In addition to the constant cars, cabs and truck noise/pollution, the planes fly throughout the day and its a nuisance. Some days I hear them every 3-10 min. I resorted to keeping my windows closed because i am sensitive to noise as are my children. I am looking forward to moving out of the area and away from the Con Ed plants.
Local Law 87 already mandates buildings larger than 50,000 square feet undergo energy audits and retro-commissioning, so this is not a radical new idea
Yeah but this makes for a hell of a photo op!
But apparently not enforced. Something needs to be done.