Reducing energy output in the tens of thousands of large buildings across the city not only would reduce pollution and climate change, but also save tax-payers money.
Most recently, the New York City Council passed legislation that will require construction and design of city-owned buildings to meet the highest LEED standards. The bill, Intro 701-A, was first introduced to the city council on March 11, 2015, and heard by the committee on September 25, 2015. Currently, it's awaiting the mayor's signature and approval.
In 2005, the Mayor signed into enactment Local Law 86, (LEED Law), which had originally determined which construction would be required to acquire LEED certifications. Included in this were many other mild-attempts towards mitigating city-wide emissions and increasing our overall , including Executive Orders 97 & 149.
Also, hand-in-hand with the LEED bill, the Council jointly passed Intro 721-A, which provides a broader context for the definition of "sustainability" for capital municipal projects. This change in language provides an immediate reduction of about 50 percent in energy usage.
All combined, this represents a monumental jump from past endeavors to make major cuts in emissions throughout the city.