Decarbonizing NYC CoOps

Report Summary: In 2019, the New York City Mayor's Office published the OneNYC 2050 plan that sets forth ambitious goals to confront the climate crisis, achieve equity, and strengthen democracy across New York City. The climate goal specifically envisions a 2050 where "buildings, transportation, and our economy are powered by renewable energy– wind, solar, and hydropower– through a modern, fully electric grid. Every New Yorker benefits from these changes, which were undertaken in a fair way, and our adapted city is a model for the world to follow." (OneNYC 2050) A number of enabling regulations have since followed, designed to help the city– its residents, businesses, and building owners– find new paths toward reducing carbon emissions by 2050. State-wide legislation, such as the Climate Leadership & Community Protection Act (CLCPA), is pushing for a clean energy grid across New York State by 2040. 

In New York City, Local Law 97 is particularly focused on emissions produced by the built environment, specifically buildings over 25,000 square feet. By this measurement, a significant number of the city's cooperative residential buildings are now required to comply with LL97's emissions limits, which become increasingly stringent, progressing towards a goal of net-zero by 2050. To further strengthen the climate, equity, and justice work envisioned by OneNYC 2050, in 2022 Mayor Eric Adams enlisted the Mayor's Office for Climate and Environmental Justice (MOCEJ) to "do the critical work of addressing climate change in our city with a focus on equity, justice, and public health." This same office has recognized that complying with LL97 will be a challenge for many of the city's co-ops, particularly limited-equity co-operatives, which provide deeply affordable housing for low- and middle-income New Yorkers and are regulated by City and State housing agencies. These co-ops in particular will face significant difficulties paying for the system upgrades that LL97 will require.