Environmental Leader

New York City officials are promising to cut greenhouse gas emissions 30 percent by 2030, Reuters reports. In 2005, the city produced 58 million metric tons of emissions – one percent of the national total for 2005 and less than a third of the average U.S. level per capita, the city announced.

At the same time, citywide emissions have increased by eight percent over the last decade. If the trend continues, carbon emissions could rise by an additional 25 percent by 2030.

Specific plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to targeted levels will be detailed in a policy speech scheduled for later this month.

New York’s greenhouse gas emissions inventory was completed as part ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability’s “Cities for Climate Protection” Campaign. The analysis shows that citywide carbon dioxide equivalent emissions were approximately 58 million metric tons in 2005, with 79 percent coming from buildings.

The inventory released today reports that actions taken by the City from 1995 to 2006 resulted in the avoided emission of 446,000 metric tons of CO2e per year. Additional actions taken between 2006 and 2017 are projected to result in annual avoided emissions of 404,000 metric tons by 2017.

The past actions include the ENCORE program, an agreement between the City and the New York Power Authority (NYPA) that provides financing for energy efficiency projects in City buildings, the use of alternative fuel vehicles in the City’s fleet, landfill methane recovery, and the conversion of traffic signals to LEDs. Planned future to further reduce CO2e emissions include the switch from truck to barge and rail for the hauling of solid waste out of the City as part of the Solid Waste Management Program, Local Law 86 of 2005 (the City’s green buildings law), Local Law 119 of 2005 (the energy efficient products procurement law), and increased street tree planting citywide.