Section 24-801
§24-801 Short title. This chapter shall be known and may be cited as
the "New York City Climate Protection Act".
Section 24-802
§24-802 Definitions. For purposes of this chapter only, the following
terms shall have the following meanings:
a. "Base year for citywide emissions" means calendar year 2005.
b. "Base year for city government emissions" means fiscal year 2006.
c. "Carbon dioxide equivalent" means the metric measure used to
compare the emissions of various greenhouse gases based upon their
global warming potential as defined in the Intergovernmental Panel on
Climate Change Second Assessment Report (1996).
d. "City government emissions" means greenhouse gas emissions
attributable to city government operations.
e. "City government operations" means the operations of the city of
New York described in the Government Inventory Methodology and the
Government Inventory Results sections of the Inventory of New York City
Greenhouse Gas Emissions, dated April 2007.
f. "Citywide emissions" means greenhouse gas emissions citywide.
g. "Greenhouse gas emissions" means the emission of carbon dioxide,
methane and nitrous oxide.
h. "Office" means such office or agency as the mayor shall designate
to implement this chapter.
i. "PlaNYC" means the sustainability plan issued by the city of New
York on April 22, 2007, entitled "PlaNYC 2030: A Greener, Greater New
York", as such plan may be revised from time to time.
j. "Renewable energy system" means any system that uses or creates
energy from renewable energy sources, including but not limited to the
sun, wind, geothermal sources, and passive house technologies, that is
viable for installation in any building or on real property within the
city of New York.
Section 24-803
§24-803 Reduction of greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to
global warming. a. (1) Reduction of emissions citywide. There shall be,
at minimum, a thirty percent reduction in citywide emissions by calendar
year 2030, relative to such emissions for the base year for citywide
emissions.
(2) The emissions reduction required by paragraph one of this
subdivision shall be achieved through the applicable policies, programs
and actions included in PlaNYC, and any additional policies, programs
and actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global
warming. If the office determines that such emissions reduction is not
feasible despite the best efforts of city government, such office shall
report such findings and make recommendations with respect to policies,
programs and actions that may be undertaken to achieve such reductions.
b. Reduction of emissions from city government operations. (1) There
shall be, at minimum, a thirty percent reduction in city government
emissions by calendar year 2017, relative to such emissions for the base
year for city government emissions.
(2) The emissions reduction required by paragraph one of this
subdivision shall be achieved through the applicable policies, programs
and actions included in PlaNYC, and any additional policies, programs
and actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global
warming. If the office determines that such emissions reduction is not
feasible despite the best efforts of city government, such office shall
report such findings and make recommendations with respect to policies,
programs and actions that may be undertaken to achieve such reductions.
c. Carbon dioxide equivalent emission inventories. (1) No later than
September 17, 2008, and no later than every September 17 thereafter, the
office shall complete and post on its website an inventory and analysis
of citywide emissions measured in carbon dioxide equivalent for the
previous calendar year, and shall calculate the percentage change in
citywide emissions measured in carbon dioxide equivalent for such
calendar year, relative to such emissions for the base year for citywide
emissions.
(2) No later than September 17, 2008, and no later than every
September 17 thereafter, the office shall complete and post on its
website an inventory and analysis of city government emissions measured
in carbon dioxide equivalent for the fiscal year ending in the previous
calendar year, and shall calculate the percentage change in city
government emissions measured in carbon dioxide equivalent for such
calendar year, relative to such emissions for the base year for city
government emissions.
d. Voluntary global warming emissions reduction program. The effort to
reduce citywide emissions set forth in subdivision a of this section
shall include, but not be limited to, voluntary programs developed and
implemented no later than March 1, 2009, that encourage private entities
operating within the city of New York to commit to reducing their own
greenhouse gas emissions measured in carbon dioxide equivalent to help
facilitate the citywide emissions reduction effort.
Section 24-804
§ 24-804 Education and outreach. a. No later than July 1, 2009, the
office shall develop and implement programs for public education and
outreach regarding global warming and the reduction of greenhouse gas
emissions by residents, businesses, public and private elementary and
secondary schools, and other entities within the city of New York. Such
program shall include, but not be limited to, awareness campaigns
tailored to specific sectors of the public, through which the office
shall develop and disseminate information regarding global warming,
including its potential impacts on the city of New York, and best
practices to reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.
b. The New York city renewable energy portal. 1. The office shall
develop and administer an interactive website called the New York city
renewable energy portal. A link to the renewable energy portal shall be
prominently displayed on the website of the department of buildings and
any other city agency website that pertains to sustainable growth or
environmental policy.
2. The purpose of the renewable energy portal shall be to effectively
inform the public about the feasibility and economic viability of
installing renewable energy systems in the city of New York. Content on
the website shall be written in plain language whenever possible and
shall include, but not be limited to, information on solar photovoltaic
panels, solar water heaters, geothermal heat pumps, and leadership in
energy and environmental design (LEED) certification. Links featured on
the website shall be verified on a quarterly basis.
3. The renewable energy portal shall have or link to, to the extent
they are available, programs that allow the user to calculate the
estimated costs and benefits of renewable energy systems, lists of
financial incentives available at the federal, state, and local levels,
and tools and guidelines to evaluate the feasibility of installing
renewable energy technologies.
4. The renewable energy portal shall assist users in determining which
city, state, and federal agencies, if any, must approve a prospective
installation of renewable energy systems. The renewable energy portal
shall link to the website of any city, state, or federal agency that
must be contacted in connection with the installation of renewable
energy systems, and may also link to any forms, if they are available
online, that such agency may require of prospective installers of
renewable energy systems.
5. The renewable energy portal shall list the qualifications required
for any contractor to perform installations of renewable energy systems
within the city of New York.
6. Nothing within this section shall be construed to limit the
authority of the office to create additional resources within the
renewable energy portal.
Section 24-805
§24-805 Annual report. No later than September 17, 2008, and no later
than every September 17 thereafter, the office shall submit to the
mayor, the speaker of the council, the public advocate and the
comptroller and post on its website a report regarding actions taken by
the office pursuant to the provisions of this chapter. Such report shall
include, but not be limited to:
a. changes in citywide emissions measured in carbon dioxide equivalent
achieved for the previous calendar year, relative to such emissions for
the base year for citywide emissions;
b. changes in city government emissions measured in carbon dioxide
equivalent achieved for the fiscal year ending in the previous calendar
year, relative to such emissions for the base year for city government
emissions disaggregated according to city agency;
c. a description of the programs developed and implemented in
accordance with subdivision d of section 24-803 of this chapter and a
list of the entities participating in such programs of which the office
is aware; and
d. a description of the education and outreach activities developed
and implemented pursuant to section 24-804 of this chapter.