By Janet Babin
WNYC News
A new report calls for New York City to phase in more stringent building energy code standards in an effort to achieve Mayor Bill de Blasio’s goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions 80 percent from 2005 levels by 2050.
Three-quarters of the city’s emissions come from buildings, as does the majority of its electricity consumption. The mayor announced a plan last fall to encourage building owners to retrofit their properties to reduce emissions, saying if that doesn’t work, the city could consider mandates that would demand lower building emissions.
But the report, Achieving 80X50, which was written by a non-profit think tank based in New Mexico, Architecture 2030, calls for mandatory standards. It suggests the city phase in energy code upgrades over the next few decades that are stronger than international building energy code standards.
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