New York — Today, local city and state elected officials joined more than 75 activists for a Climate Week rally outside City Hall, to defend NYC’s landmark climate and jobs law, Local Law 97, from an all-out assault by the corporate real estate lobby.

Speakers called on  the City Council to defend Local Law 97, and oppose Intro 772, dangerous legislation introduced in April, that would carve major loopholes in the law including exempting thousands of polluting buildings from the law’s requirements.

In effect as of January 1, Local Law 97, requires all buildings larger than 25,000 square feet to limit climate-heating carbon emissions, driving toward net zero emissions by 2050. Buildings are New York City’s largest polluters, responsible for 70% of the city’s greenhouse gas emissions. Local Law 97 is on track to create thousands of jobs, slash utility bills and reduce climate pollution.

“As a member of the City Council, I was proud to be a part of history by passing the most ambitious building emissions law in the country in 2019,” said NYC Comptroller Brad Lander. “Unfortunately, Intro 772 threatens to undermine these crucial climate protections. New York City has a unique opportunity to create a just transition to clean energy while generating good-paying green jobs. I urge the City Council to reject Intro 772 and preserve the integrity of our climate goals.”

“The urgency of the climate crisis is so severe that we cannot afford to backtrack. I would much rather find a way to support homeowners refurbishing and greenifying their buildings than backtrack on significant and desperately needed climate legislation,” said Senate Labor Chair Jessica Ramos. 

“The City Council passed Local Law 97 for a reason, and it’s our job to make sure it is fully implemented. After yet another summer and fall with record-setting heat, it is beyond clear that the time for climate action is now. We don’t need any more delays, exemptions, or loopholes. It’s time for property owners to take responsibility for their carbon footprints and for the City Council to stand their ground for the sake of the future of our city” said Council Member Christopher Marte.

Ken Schles, a Food & Water Watch Volunteer Leader from Brooklyn said: “ Speaker Adams and the Council need to show New Yorkers they are serious about upholding our City’s landmark climate and jobs laws. Local Law 97 is already cleaning our air, lowering our bills and bringing good clean energy jobs to New York City — the real estate lobby’s dangerous Intro 772 would take us backwards on this critical progress. We call Speaker Adams and the Council to block Intro 772 from moving forward.”

“Local Law 97 remains critical policy for New York City’s fight against the climate crisis — and yet, we’re still seeing big real estate push hard against these changes. Intro 737 offers an out for the wealthiest, largest building owners at the expense of every day New Yorkers. Young people across all five boroughs of NYC are committed to seeing Local Law 97 enforced and implemented in its entirety,” said Shiv Soin, Co-Executive Director of TREEage.

“Local Law 97 has already started cleaning up our buildings and will bring in more jobs and lower utility bills, which we desperately need here in New York City. The most recent attack to this law, Intro 772, only serves to undo the will of people like me who suffer from asthma and know all too well what it’s like to be displaced by the climate crisis, said Rachel Rivera, Sandy Survivor and Community Organizer at New York Communities for Change. “Our City Council cannot let Intro 772 move another inch forward–and must do everything it can to protect working New Yorkers from further attacks from the Real Estate industry.”

John Ludlam with the Alternative Building Industry (ABI) Collective: Local Law 97 is the foundation we need for a just transition. It is how we will meet our climate goals, reduce our dependence on monopolizing utility companies, and overcome the health risks of air pollution, while creating thousands of new jobs. Intro 772 would push this further out of reach. As building professionals, we urge the City Council to tackle the climate and inequality crises head-on, not introduce loopholes to existing policy.

“The City Council must continue to champion Local Law 97 and not give in to the cynical attempts to gut it by the real estate industry in Intro 772. Local Law 97 is a world-leading law to tackle the climate crisis while improving air quality and saving people money, and it’s already led to building improvements for homeowners and tenants alike,” said Megan Ahearn, NYPIRG Program Director. 

“Local Law 97 is already benefitting New Yorkers by reducing air and climate pollution, decreasing utility costs, and creating jobs and business in NYC. Intro. 772 is a costly mistake. This regressive proposal does nothing to help LMI co-ops and condos comply with LL97. But it does create public health sacrifice zones in LMI communities already burdened by too much air pollution and at higher risk of the impacts of climate change. It will also kill jobs and business development that NYC sorely needs. Instead, the City Council must support measures that help LMI condos and co-ops obtain the benefits of cleaner, more comfortable, safer, and cheaper-to-run homes by providing proactive technical assistance. Intro. 654 (tax abatements) and the NYS Bucks for Boilers Act (A9990/S9099) are measures that will actually support LMI communities, not put them at the end of the line again. The Jobs and Housing Act (S8993) would also help working families. City Council must reject Intro 772 and support the full implementation of Local Law 97,” said the Climate Reality Project NYC Advocacy Team.