Politics

New York City Ready To Introduce Its Own Green New Deal

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New York City is preparing to introduce its own Green New Deal with a series of legislation that aspires to curtail carbon emissions and create thousands of jobs.

The Climate Mobilization Act will be brought before the City Council on April 22, where it will vote on six bills, the Huffington Post reported.

The bulk of the act makes major modifications to building standards throughout the city. Buildings over 25,000 square feet will be required to install new windows and make other changes that reduce emissions.

“This is about saving New York City,” Councilman Costa Constantinides, the Queens Democrat leading the effort said. “This is saving the city as we know it.”

This follows action last month by New York officials to address congestion in Manhattan. New York City will become the first U.S. city to implement congestion pricing, emulating systems used in London and Singapore.

“If New York City can do it in the complicated city that we’re living in, anyone else should be able to do it,” said City Council Speaker Corey Johnson.

Beyond building regulations, one proposal compels officials to investigate whether it would be possible to close 24 power plants within the city and install renewables and batteries, The Real Deal found.

New York Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez introduced the Green New Deal in February, striving to reduce greenhouse emissions to ‘net-zero’ within a decade.

“It really is the beginning of a Green New Deal for New York City,” said Pete Sikora, a senior adviser to the housing and climate justice advocacy group New York Communities for Change. “It’s not everything, but it’s a transformative package.”

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