New York City is planning to fight climate change by forcing buildings like the Empire State Building to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.
On Thursday, the New York City Council approved legislation that would set emissions caps for large and medium size buildings. The goal is to slash their overall emissions 40% by 2030.
That legislation was packaged along with several other green initiatives in the so-called Climate Mobilization Act. And lawmakers hope it will help the city cut its greenhouse gas emissions by 80% below 2005 levels in the next three decades.
As The New York Times points out, large buildings produce a lot of greenhouse emissions, mostly due to the energy they use for things like heating, cooling and lighting. And that's especially bad for New York City — a 2017 inventory of greenhouse gas emissions found buildings were responsible for 67% of the city's emissions.
Before the city council approved the new legislation, Mayor Bill de Blasio called it "very aggressive," and he has said he will sign it.
