The Complexity of Relative Commitment & The Big Apple's Net Zero Path

Cash Martin

How do we measure relative commitment?

For the global energy transition to prosper at an international level, all major cities must be comparably committed to the cause. This sounds like quite a sweeping statement, so let me elaborate: every single city in the world battles with a wide range of unique conflicts that require constant situational evaluation—and, thus, corresponding solutions. Because of this, not every country, region, city, or community can afford to be held to the same objective standards of “committed” as the next. It doesn’t take Einstein to realize that a little valley hamlet in Nepal has less of a global climate impact than Beijing, but when put into scale—who’s to say which one is more culturally devoted to the cause?

Well, now that we’ve dissected the clean energy landscape of two small cities (Montpelier and Newport) and two major cities (Jacksonville and Austin) in our “Road to Net Zero” series, I think this notion of “relative commitment” is perhaps a bit easier to visualize. We’ve seen success and we’ve seen failure, but what we have yet to examine is an ultimate global superpower and their current status in redesigning their collective climate identity—and that’s exactly what this article will analyze.

Known widely as the “center of the universe”, New York City’s contributions to the energy transition remain as integral as ever; and as both a role model and an influential global power, NYC’s clean energy commitment is absolutely indispensable.

And in light of our involvement in New York Climate Action in the last month—particularly in late September during Climate Week —it’s fitting that we discuss their climate landscape in lieu of new collaborations and intellect.

Holding the weight of the world

In a nutshell, New York City is doing well in the energy transition, but several different factors are contributing to quite a complicated current standing. As previously stated, the Big Apple’s smooth transition to renewable energy is crucial to an effective global transition. To put it to scale, NYC contributed to 1.4% of national greenhouse gas emissions in 2019, and that’s as a notably climate-friendly city—Los Angeles accounted for nearly five times that amount. As large as the United States is, these major metropolises prove especially consequential in the grand scheme of carbon-positive impact. On the bright side, NYC has set out a very optimistic goal for carbon neutrality—and they are already well on their way to reach it.?

2050 is the target year for net zero, and while this is going to be a difficult objective to fulfill, it is certainly possible. For example, as part of the NYCERS Net Zero Implementation Plan, NYCERS (a public retirement system which engages in energy initiatives through their investment portfolio) has resolved to “divest from publicly-traded fossil fuel reserve owners,” effectively avoiding many of their harmful side effects. This plan, which serves as protocol for the actions of Brad Lender, the New York City Comptroller, will ensure “a just transition to a low-carbon economy [that] also presents significant investment opportunities in renewable energy, energy efficiency, and other climate solutions.”

Kicking the electricity transition into full gear

An understated factor in this process is the difficulty of retrofitting outdated infrastructure in New York City. While every major American city struggles with updating obsolete technologies, New York’s situation is particularly dire.

On top of battling a housing crisis as the most densely-populated US city, NYC also contains some of the oldest buildings in America—with the average age being 90 years—which only exacerbates the difficulty of energy modernization and adaptation. 2024 should be a breakout year, though, as Local Law 97—issued within the Climate Mobilization Act of 2019—is finally being put into action. LL97 mandates that all buildings larger than 25,000 ft2 follow a set of stringent guidelines in concordance with the city’s climate goals.

Starting this year, these large buildings will be fined intermittently if their GHG emissions exceed the carbon cap placed by LL97; however, the aforementioned housing crisis and complicated decarbonization processes will leave many of these older buildings both above the carbon cap and struggling to remain financially stable—especially since they are left to their own devices to meet the requirements of this law. Therefore, it may be hard to substantiate NYCERS’ claim that the city will “maximize opportunities to benefit current and future NYC pensioners” since many residential and commercial buildings may be put in jeopardy—and thus, their places of living and work.

Although LL97 has a few caveats, I—and most others—would consider this a successful approach to solve dirty energy head-on. There is one sector of New York City’s infrastructure, however, that is significantly better than its many American counterparts, and I’m sure you can guess it: transportation. With one of the most reliable, well-designed, and integrated public metro systems in America, New York City boasts a major advantage in the energy transition—and it’s the first city we’ve examined in our “Path to Net Zero” series that does not have transportation as their chief concern. The NYC Subway is run entirely on electricity—with 70% coming from renewable sources like solar, wind, and nuclear—which means there are no emissions in the tunnels. Their main issue, unsurprisingly, is convincing private vehicle owners to switch to EVs and HEVs. Given the city’s already subway-reliant culture, though, there really aren’t many private vehicle owners in the first place—making for a gradual yet simple transition.

Our recent involvement—and how it connects!

Earlier this September, Build Edison collaborated with The Swedish Energy Agency and The Swedish-American Chamber of Commerce New York to organize and run a collaborative summit to connect local New York-area organizations with international minds—with the intention of catalyzing inspiration and new alliances. We also participated in Dynamo Energy Hub’s Climate Week Energy Transition Summit, in which several leading companies and experts from around the globe provided insight on how they advance the energy transition now and in the near future. One organization with a prominent presence at both of these events was NYSERDA (New York State Energy Research and Development Authority), who are key players for transitioning energy—and, specifically, financing rebates—within New York.?

I bet you know how this connects, but it’s worth putting into writing: NYSERDA is a key State resource for enabling building owners to finance renewable energy under LL97. To meet the stringent emission goals, NYSERDA offers grants, low-interest loans, and rebates (Like Low-Carbon Pathways and IPNAs) to help make heating, cooling, and lighting upgrades much less of a financial burden. NYSERDA understands that the average building owner may need resources to help bridge this transition, therefore they deploy technical services as well as financial support to help them understand how to reduce their carbon footprints efficiently.

Final thoughts on an ambiguous future—how preparation is New York’s best friend

In all honesty, it’s difficult to summarize the entirety of New York City’s clean energy positioning, and even more challenging to determine their role in the future. As I’m sure this article has made apparent, there are infinite factors that seriously influence their clean energy landscape. So, the best we can ask for at this moment—before we can better understand the positive and negative effects of their recent climate initiatives—is a wholehearted commitment to the present, and wholehearted commitment to reevaluating our future; and if New York City and its aforementioned key players have demonstrated one quality within this transition, it is commitment. Their goals are ambitious yet realistic, and officials are not afraid to propose the possibility of adopting alternate strategies and meeting these goals after initial deadlines. With New York City being one of—if not the—most powerful metropolises in America, we can expect their “relative commitment” to affect the world on a colossal scale—and they clearly have the gumption to do so beneficially.