So far, so good on New York\u2019s building emission rules. But, unfortunately for many property owners, the hard part is yet to come.<\/p>\n
The vast majority of the buildings required to slash their carbon footprints have done so or taken steps to, according to a report<\/a> the Department of Buildings submitted to the City Council Monday night.<\/p>\n How much city properties spew planet-warming carbon makes a big difference for a greener New York; buildings \u2014 with their heat, lights and air conditioning \u2014 are the biggest source<\/a> of emissions in the city, and Local Law 97 aims to curtail them.\u00a0<\/p>\n The law, passed in 2019, mandates that buildings over 25,000 square feet keep their emissions down below a certain cap or face financial penalties. The first compliance period began in 2024, and in subsequent years, buildings are allowed to spew fewer and fewer emissions.<\/p>\n Of the nearly 30,000 buildings required to file reports, about 95% did so, showing how they complied with the law or are taking steps to get there.<\/p>\n In a statement, Mayor Zohran Mamdani heralded the law\u2019s implementation as strong so far.<\/p>\n \u201cWe will continue working to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and invest in clean energy,\u201d he said, \u201cdelivering more efficient buildings, cleaner air and a more resilient city for decades to come.\u201d<\/p>\n The DOB\u2019s analysis breaks down buildings into two groups: one that includes mostly market-rate buildings subject to the emissions caps (as well as schools, offices and hotels), and another that includes affordable housing and houses of worship. The DOB did not yet determine compliance rates for the latter group.<\/p>\n Of the more than 10,437 properties in the first group that filed emissions reports to the DOB, about 95% \u2014 or 10,000 \u2014 are in compliance with the benchmarks. Of the rest, more than half are over the emissions limit by less than 50%. About a quarter of those buildings are over by more than 50%, and about a third of them opted to submit plans to show how they will make \u201cgood faith efforts\u201d to comply with the law.<\/p>\n For those following the implementation of the law, the analysis likely won\u2019t come as a surprise. When the law was passed, the DOB figured 80% of buildings subject to the law would already be under the emissions caps in the first compliance period.<\/p>\n The challenge for most buildings would come in 2030, when emission limits become stricter. That\u2019s when tougher and more expensive projects would likely need to get done. To bring down carbon emissions, building owners may have to make physical changes to their buildings by adding solar, fully sealing and insulating older buildings, replacing oil boilers or switching to more efficient electric appliances, among other options.<\/p>\n Jesse Gerstin, the former board president of a co-op apartment in Brooklyn\u2019s Ditmas Park, helmed the installation of rooftop solar for the building. The system turned on by the end of 2024 and brought the building into compliance with Local Law 97.<\/p>\n \u201cBy our understanding, we won\u2019t have a fine,\u201d he said in an interview earlier this year. \u201cWe probably could\u2019ve started with energy efficiency and heating first \u2026 but other people in the building were excited about solar.\u201d<\/p>\n Some of the upgrades owners have to make can come at high upfront costs, and those not in compliance could face fines of $268 for every ton of carbon-based emissions above the limit, per year. A ton of carbon is about equal to a car driving around 2,300 miles, according to an Environmental Protection Agency estimate.<\/p>\n As of Monday, 16 properties that are over the emission limits are in the process of paying about $270,150 in penalties, according to DOB.<\/p>\n \u201cSome building owners, in my understanding, have made a financial decision to pay some penalties instead of doing the work, so, we\u2019re happy to collect that money,\u201d said Laura Popa, deputy commissioner of sustainability at the DOB, at a July event<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n