As the world grapples with the challenges of climate change, cities have taken a leading role in combating greenhouse gas emissions. In New York City, the passage of Local Law 97 in 2019 represents a significant advancement toward reducing building emissions, which accounts for 67% of the city’s total emissions. This legislation aims to lower greenhouse gas emissions from large buildings by 40% by 2030, and 80% by 2050.
At the NY Build Expo 2025, the “Local Law 97: Implications & Opportunities for Sustainable Urban Development” expert panel discussion included William Curran, PE, CEM, CBCP, Vice President, Principal Mechanical Engineer, and Senior Project Manager. He was joined by Emily Hoffman, Director of the Office of Building Energy and Emissions Performance at the NYC Department of Buildings; Nikki Joseph, Senior Policy Advisor at The Mayor’s Office of Climate & Environmental Justice; Jan Wei, Principal at High Building Performance Services at Stantec; Matthew J. Normandeau, Principal at Simpson Gumpertz & Heger; and chairperson David Green, Principal at Arup. The panelists explored the nuances of NYC’s building emissions Local Law 97 (LL97), and Curran spoke about the impact of maintenance budgets as they relate to LL97.
Some strategies to implement the changes necessary to comply with LL97 include budgeting for updates beyond traditional maintenance budgets. The first step is to be informed about the building. There are many precursor laws including LL84, LL87, and now LL97. You need to have a holistic view of the building to achieve LL97 compliance. It’s not only for MEP engineering systems but also for building envelopes and strategies on how to implement energy usage improvements.
Buildings evolve over time – their use may have changed from the original intent. Gathering that information and working on it to make changes ensures progress. Building systems may have been modified for a specific purpose, but that may not be the right fit anymore. Implementation may include comprehensive building management systems that support future systems and provide feedback on energy usage. This helps identify energy hogs to focus on for further improvements.
When you implement these updates, you’ll start seeing savings. The key is not to cash in immediately. Your maintenance budget typically escalates over time, making those savings crucial. Maintain that budget because achieving LL87 compliance may require larger capital investments. By preserving your budget and not cashing out, you’re setting aside funds for future updates. These updates can range from electrification, to geothermal, energy storage, etc.
Another key takeaway was to take advantage of the NYC Accelerator snapshot of your building. You can enter the address of a building to discover its energy usage, check if it complies with NYC’s building emissions law (LL97), and see potential penalties and savings opportunities. Then, reach out to NYC Accelerator for free expert advice on how to reduce emissions in your building and avoid yearly fines. Building Energy Snapshot | NYC Accelerator
As stated by Curran, “Being fully informed about your building and taking those steps that are right for your building are the things we try to guide our clients to because it’s not just that we checked the box and implemented this strategy to be compliant. It’s unfortunately not that easy.”