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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PR- 383-07
October 22, 2007

MAYOR BLOOMBERG SIGNS EXECUTIVE ORDER ESTABLISHING COMMITTEE TO REDUCE GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS FROM CITY OWNED BUILDINGS AND OPERATIONS BY 30 PERCENT OVER THE NEXT DECADE - FULFILLING PLANYC COMMITMENT

Order Earmarks $80 Million in Fiscal Year 2008 to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Energy Usage in City Owned Buildings and Operations

On Six Month Anniversary of PlaNYC - Progress Made on More than 80 Percent of Initiatives

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg today signed an executive order that establishes a steering committee charged with reducing energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions in City owned buildings and operations by 30 percent over the next ten years. This is one of the 127 initiatives that the Mayor announced in an Earth Day speech six months ago today as part of PlaNYC, his plan to create a greener, greater New York. The order signed by the Mayor also earmarks $80 million in FY2008 funding, or approximately 10 percent of the City's current annual energy expenditures, to implement energy saving measures in City owned buildings. Buildings account for more than 80 percent of citywide greenhouse gas emissions and more than two-thirds of emissions by City government. As part of today's announcement the Mayor also issued a PlaNYC Progress Report, which shows that work has begun on more than 80 percent of the other 126 initiatives. Joining the Mayor at today's event was Deputy Mayor for Economic Development and Rebuilding Daniel Doctoroff; Director of Long-term Planning and Sustainability Rohit Aggarwala; Ashok Gupta from the National Resource Defense Council; representatives of the New York State Power Authority (NYPA); and the members of the Steering Committee: Deputy Mayor for Administration Edward Skyler who will serve as chair; Director of the Mayor's Office of Operations Jeffery Kay; Commissioner of the Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS) Martha Hirst; Commissioner of the Department of the Department of Design and Construction (DDC) David Burney; President of the Economic Development Corporation (EDC) Robert Lieber; and Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB ) Mark Page.

"Our Administration released the first of its kind comprehensive inventory of greenhouse gas emissions in April, which showed that buildings produce 80 percent of greenhouse gas emissions throughout the City. As part of PlaNYC we committed to reducing those emissions citywide by 30 percent by 2030," said Mayor Bloomberg. "We also committed to taking action in our own government buildings on an even more aggressive timetable and today we are taking the steps necessary to make sure that happens. The Steering Committee is one of our 127 PlaNYC initiatives, and six months after unveiling that ambitious plan we've seen real progress on more than 80 percent of them. We'll continue to work throughout the coming months to advance all 127 initiatives as we build a greener, greater New Yorker to meet the environmental and economic challenges of the next several decades to come."

"Today the Mayor is fulfilling another of the commitments laid out in PlaNYC by creating this steering committee which will work across agencies to implement plans for energy and emissions reductions – one of the most fundamentally important goals he laid out in April," said Deputy Mayor and Steering Committee Chairman Edward Skyler. "Over the coming weeks and months, we'll identify and implement cost effective, measurable ways to reduce City government's carbon footprint so that we can achieve a 30 percent emissions reduction within 10 years. Leading by example, our goal is not only to reduce emissions by City government, but to encourage the private sector to do likewise. I'm excited to lead this effort."

The Administration today also unveiled the first PlaNYC Progress Report, a detailed analysis of the 127 initiatives that were included in PlaNYC announced on April 22nd, 2007. The report shows that significant progress has been made on more than 80 percent of the initiatives. The report provides the status of each proposal and outlines next steps for continuing to implement them. The first 127 initiatives that make up PlaNYC were designed to achieve the ten goals that Mayor Bloomberg first conceived in December 2006 and outlined when PlaNYC was launched in April. Those goals include: building homes for almost a million more New Yorkers; ensuring that all New Yorkers live within a 10 minute walk of a park; cleaning-up all contaminated land in the City; opening 90 percent of our waterways for recreation by reducing water pollution and preserving natural areas; developing critical backup systems for our aging water network to ensure long-term reliability; improving travel times by adding transit capacity for millions of New Yorkers, visitors and workers and reaching a full state of good repair on our roads, rails and bridges; providing cleaner more reliable sources of energy and power; achieving the cleanest air quality of any big city in America; and reducing our global warming emissions by 30 percent by 2030.

"When we outlined 127 initiatives as part of PlaNYC, we knew that implementing them would require a serious multi-year commitment. Most long-term plans wind up sitting on a shelf. But we are already working hard on implementing virtually everything in the plan. In fact, only six months later we can actually see results on several of the proposals, with 67 schoolyards open after hours and trees already being planted," said Deputy Mayor Dan Doctoroff. "We have been working with our partners at different levels of government and in the Council and State Legislature to move forward. We've partnered with not-for-profits and private sector businesses in innovative new ways. The results are that we're building a more sustainable City and we will achieve permanent results."

The Steering Committee will present a plan to the Mayor by December 1st, 2007, outlining how this year's $80 million will be spent. Approximately 70 percent ($56 million) of this initial funding will go towards capital investments in more efficient mechanical and electrical systems, including: lighting replacement and installation of sensors; heating ventilation and air conditioning improvements; water and sewer equipment upgrades; and vehicle replacements and streetlight and traffic signal enhancements.

Additionally, a portion of the $80 million will be invested to assist in the planning and management of energy-saving efforts in the future, such as additional staffing needs, benchmarking studies, training efforts, and management systems.

By June 30th, 2008, the Steering Committee will issue a long-term action plan for the achievement of the full 30 percent reduction of municipal greenhouse gas emissions by 2017. The long term plan will include proposals for: benchmarking of energy consumption for all City buildings; identifying existing resources for plan integration; assessing and prioritizing the use of energy-saving technologies; establishing a timetable for procurement and implementation; measuring and verifying protocols to monitor progress and energy savings; establishing accountability and enforcement policies for agencies, and staffing or other organizational recommendations required for to achieve a 30 percent emissions reduction by 2017.

The PlaNYC Progress Report released today shows that action has been taken on 100 of the 127 initiatives – more than 80 percent. Three quarters of those 100 have officially been launched, and the remaining are in the planning phase. Highlights of PlaNYC initiatives that have been announced include making local universities 2030 Challenge Partners on energy savings and greenhouse gas reductions; changing Taxi and Limousine Commission rules to require fuel efficient or hybrid taxis; undertaking a comprehensive marketing campaign, GreeNYC, designed to raise consumer awareness; working with partners at the State level to create a congestion commission to determine the best way to proceed with a congestion pricing plan; opening schoolyards as playgrounds to automatically increase the number of park spaces for children around the City; and partnering with the New York Restoration Project to begin planting 1 million new trees citywide.

To obtain full copies of the Executive Order and the PlaNYC Progress Report, please log on to www.nyc.gov.







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