Dive Brief:
- New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced a program to assist private landlords with refurbishing their buildings for energy efficiency, clean energy and water conservation. De Blasio's stated goal is to cut about one million metric tons through retrofits in approximately 1,000 buildings a year and retrofit all city-owned buildings by 2025 — part of his "One City Built to Last" initiative.
- The mayor introduced the "retrofit accelerator," or a "a free one-stop shop" of experts who will advise building owners of conservation and clean energy options. The advisers also help with permits, financing and incentives to assist landlords in installation and staff training.
- The city said the reductions would save $350 million a year in utility costs for business owners, and would be equivalent to removing 200,000 cars from the roads.
Dive Insight:
New York City is aiming to make the transition to greener buildings less complicated and more affordable. The latest outreach is part of a plan to reach compliance without mandating changes. So far, the city, on a mission to reduce emissions, has gained support for its "retrofit accelerator" plan from the real estate industry.
"Between Clean Heat's tremendous success, the expansion of Carbon Challenge, and now the NYC Retrofit Accelerator's launch, New York City continues to lead the world by example in regard to sustainability," John Banks, president of the Real Estate Board of New York, said in a statement.
