New York University’s Maron Institute for Urban Management will use a $19.9 million federal grant to work with the city on projects in support of the new sustainability law. In collaboration with the New York City Department of Buildings and the Urban Greening Council, the institute’s researchers will develop data-driven recommendations to help buildings meet carbon goals.
The funding, provided by the U.S. Department of Energy on September 9, will help implement Local Law 97, a set of regulations aimed at reducing carbon emissions in New York City’s largest buildings. DOB’s Office of Sustainability worked with two other agencies to apply for the grant. Both institutions have supported LL97 since its first implementation in 2019.
Citywide grants will go toward projects such as creating a citywide database to track decarbonization, developing new software tools to help building owners comply with LL97, and increasing staffing for the DOB Office of Sustainability. Provide funding. Constantin Contocosta, an associate professor at New York University Marron, said the initiative grew out of the institute’s continued collaboration with city officials on data analysis projects that advance environmental and social justice.
“Our work aims to reduce barriers to building decarbonization, understand pathways to compliance and the impacts of those paths, and develop new ways to monitor and assess progress towards decarbonization goals. “We are specifically focused on creating data and machine learning tools to provide cities with the best possible results,” Kontocosta said in a statement to WSN.
This grant will enable NYU Marron to manage development across the city with a data-driven guide to reducing building emissions. NYU Maron has previously worked with city-based agencies to establish building emissions regulations, including with the Department of Energy to create an energy benchmarking law that assigns energy efficiency ratings to buildings. It also includes cooperation.
NYU Marron will also study ways to strengthen educational guidance for building owners in disadvantaged communities designated by the state. Kontokosta added that a key element of their research is to make data more accessible and comprehensive to inform landlords, policy makers and tenants in areas in need.
The grant comes as New York University aims to reduce building emissions by 50% by 2025, after meeting a goal of reducing building emissions by 30% in 2012. It was done. At last month’s Climate Week event, New York University President Linda Mills recently spoke about the university’s efforts to achieve this. We aim to be carbon neutral by 2040, including renovating Rubin Hall and introducing plant-based options in the cafeteria.
LL97 requires about 40,000 of the city’s largest buildings to be more energy efficient and reduce carbon emissions to avoid penalties. The program’s initial compliance deadline is May 1, 2025, at which time building owners must submit their annual greenhouse gas emissions to the DOB. Those who exceed the emissions limits will be fined $268 per tonne of carbon dioxide equivalent emitted in excess of the limits.
“Reducing carbon emissions, especially in cities and buildings, is an important step to minimizing the effects of climate change,” Kontokosta said. “We hope the research we conduct as part of this effort will help New York City take meaningful action toward a more just and lower-carbon future.”
Please contact Mariapaula Gonzalez (email protected).
