Since the building and construction sector is responsible for around 30 percent of global energy consumption and the greenhouse gas emissions that come with it, decarbonizing our buildings is an essential step for curbing climate change. On Thursday, the city of New York demonstrated that it’s well aware of the importance of such action by approving an ambitious plan that will force thousands of large buildings, including the Empire State Building and Trump Tower, to sharply reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. The legislation will set emission caps for many different types of buildings, with the goal of achieving a 40 percent overall reduction of emissions by 2030. Buildings that do not meet the caps could face steep fines. To reach this goal, many buildings will need to replace heating or air conditioning systems with more efficient equipment. Who knows, maybe buildings in New York City can make use of the smart shading system that we wrote about in today’s top story.
NYC approves law that targets its biggest source of CO2 emissions: buildings
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