Climate Protection Act & Stormwater Management Plan

The City Council passed the New York City Climate Protection Act on November 20, 2007 and Mayor Bloomberg signed it on Feb 25, 2008, which requires government buildings to cut emissions by 30% by 2017 and the city overall to meet the same target by 2030. The city emitted 58 million metric tons of greenhouse gases into the air in 2005, mostly because of energy consumed by buildings, according to PlanNYC2030. Of course, the city has no legal right to force private companies to go green. Mayor Bloomberg set a similar goal in his ambitious PlanNYC2030 blueprint

Mayor Bloomberg signed legislation requiring creation of a stormwater management plan February 19, 2008. The new law requires the City to conduct a thorough study of stormwater best management practices, determine the estimated costs and benefits of each practice, and provide a stormwater management plan for implementation.

Photo: Environmental Protection Committee Counsel Samara Swanston, Councilman James Gennaro (D-Queens), chairman of the Environmental Protection Committee, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg - Photo Courtesy: Edward Reed