Local Law 97
Local Law 97 (LL97) is a regulation set out by the New York City council as part of the Climate Mobilization Act.
It came into effect in November 2019, and is a citywide law placing carbon caps on all buildings above a specified size, as part of an ambitious plan to drastically reduce the city's carbon emissions.
It states that from 2024, these buildings will have to comply with new greenhouse emissions caps, or face a fine.
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The law affects the following types of buildings:
An amendment signed in November 2020 also now requires covered buildings with 35% or fewer rent-regulated units to meet the law's carbon caps starting in 2026. Buildings with more than 35 percent rent-regulated units can still choose the prescriptive path. The expansion aligns with the State’s new rent laws and increases the impact of Local Law 97 (Source: Urban Green Council).
It’s key to remember that building owners are directly responsible for understanding whether their buildings are affected and, if so, ensuring they comply.
– Anthony Malkin,
CEO of Empire State Realty Trust and chair of the Real Estate Roundtable’s Sustainability Policy Advisory Committee
(Source: The Real Deal)
The law is deliberately comprehensive, although there are a few exemptions to be aware of:
Most exempt buildings will instead have to commit to a reduction of carbon emissions, rather than a cap.
By May 2025, any building that is impacted by Local Law 97 will have to file an annual Greenhouse Gas Emission report. This will state whether the building either complies with regulations, or how much it exceeds the specified limits. This report will have to be filed every following May.
For most affected buildings, this will mean active steps will need to be taken to get a better understanding of your energy usage, and to reduce these carbon emissions fast.
Buildings that exceed the maximum limit will face an annual penalty. This works out as the difference between the building’s allowed limit and its actual carbon emissions, multiplied by $268.
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For further details, FAQs and how to get started with LL97 check out our full-length article 'Local Law 97: everything you need to know'.
Other useful sources:
NYC.gov Urban Green Council NY Engineers
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