Real Estate Trade Groups Say Mayor’s Greenhouse Gas Plan Is Too Vague

The NYC real estate industry is taking issue with parts of a recent report from the mayor's office urging faster adoption of emissions-reducing techniques on the part of landlords. 

The Real Estate Board of New York, the Rent Stabilization Association, the Building Owners & Managers Association of Greater New York and the Federation of New York Housing Cooperatives & Condominiums issued a joint statement on Friday, spelling out their grievances with Mayor Bill de Blasio’s recent greenhouse gas emissions report, which spells out how the city will reduce those emissions by 80% by the year 2050.

Building emissions account for about 70% of the city's total greenhouse gas emissions, according to Nilda Mesa, director of the Mayor's Office of Sustainability.

The statement claims that the report, called the Technical Working Group Report, which was released last week on Earth Day, represents a change in the administration's approach to achieving the “80 by 50” mandate, by proposing mandates to take effect immediately and not explaining how to reach the targets called for.

The Technical Working Group Report’s guidelines were derived from the mayor’s office’s OneNYC plan, which targets both environment and poverty alleviation efforts.

“…we remain committed to working with the City and others to improve sustainability for future generations of New York City residents,” the joint statement from real estate trade groups reads. “Improvements, however, will only occur through practical proposals that can achieve realistic goals.”

Snapped: REBNY president John Banks earlier this month at REBNY’s Ingenious Deal of the Year Awards.