Greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reductions are crucial to combating the threat of climate change. In the absence of significant federal action to address GHG emissions, universities have become laboratories for innovative energy efficiency policy solutions to reduce such emissions. We believe that New York University (NYU) can play a vital role in this movement by …
There are a number of reasons to install a green roof in an urban setting. Green roofs can help with stormwater retention, mitigate the urban heat island effect, enhance biodiversity, improve local air quality, and reduce building energy usage. The myriad benefits provided make green roofs an attractive tool for cities seeking to improve their …
Every year, school bus contractors drive 150,000 New York City children to school in approximately 9,000 diesel buses that harm public health and the environment. Diesel exhaust exposure increases the risk of cancer, heart disease, and respiratory symptoms, such as asthma. Exhaust and greenhouse gas emissions pollute the air and exacerbate the effects of climate …
Electrifying New York City’s School Bus Fleet: Legal & Policy Considerations Read More »
Cities are experimenting with a range of policy and regulatory tools to reduce energy use in the building sector as a pathway to substantial carbon emission reductions. Increasingly, cities are turning to policies that reduce information asymmetries and knowledge gaps through data transparency, focusing on existing buildings and the potential to achieve up to 50% …
“If you wait until the species’ numbers are actually small enough that it’s going to become extinct, it may be difficult or too late,” SAYS NYU Law Professor Richard Stewart. READ MORE
When storm clouds gather, 62 square miles of roofs keep us dry in New York City. Unfortunately, most of the dozens of inches of rain that hit New York each year cascades into our gutters, swelling sewers and often causing raw sewage to pour into our waterways. The city is failing to take advantage of …
In the United States, city governments have been among the most vocal actors in pledging climate action. Yet, in both their greenhouse gas (GHG) inventories and their climate action plans, cities are often leaving out a significant piece of their own climate footprint—the GHG emissions embodied in the meat and dairy products consumed in cities. …
Climate-Friendly Diets: How Cities Can Cut Emissions and Improve Public Health Read More »
Vegetated, or “green,” roofs provide numerous social and environmental benefits to urban areas. Compared with conventional roofs, green roofs promote biodiversity, reduce building energy use, decrease noise, and improve the productivity of solar photovoltaic installations. They can also mitigate the urban heat island effect and reduce stormwater runoff, thereby diminishing flooding and pollution of local waterways. …
Expanding Green Roofs in New York City: Towards a Location-Specific Tax Incentive Read More »
The planned closure of the Indian Point nuclear facility, which currently supplies about 25 percent of New York City’s electricity, could cause a substantial rise in greenhouse emissions and local air pollution if concerted action is not taken to secure alternative clean energy resources for the City. In this Policy Brief, Guarini Center Energy Law …
Despite the strong consensus in the scientific community that anthropogenic climate change requires urgent attention, neither the United States nor Canada has implemented a comprehensive national policy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Into this void have stepped two regional cap-and-trade programs that regulate greenhouse gas emissions in parts of both countries. One, the Regional Greenhouse …
