NEW YORK CITY, N.Y. — New York City Council has passed a series of measures to reduce greenhouse gases released from buildings in New York City, including a requirement for green roofs or solar panels on newly constructed buildings.
The move, approved by council April 18, was immediately praised by the advocacy group Green Roofs for Healthy Cities.
The new Climate Mobilization Act will set emission caps with the goal of reducing emissions by 2030. The legislation will require green roofs to be installed on new residential and commercial buildings. Depending on the size and property assessments of the buildings, owners will be required to meet targets ranging from a cut of emissions by 40 per cent by 2030 and 80 per cent by 2050 for larger buildings, noted a release. The reductions targets are lower for smaller buildings.
“For the past two years Green Roofs for Healthy Cities has been advocating for new measures to grow the green roof market in New York City, and we are very pleased with the passage of this new legislation,” said Steven Peck, founder and president of Green Roofs for Healthy Cities, in the statement.
“New York now joins cities like Denver, San Francisco, Toronto and Portland, Oregon in making green roofs a requirement.”
Rafael Espinal, council member for the city’s 37th District, said green roofs “cool down cities by mitigating Urban Heat Island Effect, cut energy costs, absorb air pollution, reduce storm-water runoff, promote biodiversity, provide sound-proofing and make our cities more livable for all.”
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