New York Mayor plans to reduce energy use in large buildings
New York City mayor Bill de Blasio has announced plans to force landlords to retrofit apartments, offices and warehouses in order to improve energy efficiency. The proposals could affect up to 23,000 buildings in the city. Implementation of the plan, which has not yet been finalised, would require legislation by the City Council. Such legislation would outline the maximum levels of energy use permitted in relation to affected buildings, with most required to reduce consumption by around 25%.

Mayor Bill de Blasio on Thursday said that he wants to force landlords to retrofit old buildings — including apartment houses, office buildings and warehouses, with more than 25,000 square feet of space — to make them more energy efficient.

The plan, which could affect as many as 23,000 buildings in New York City, called for strict standards in place by 2030, as part of a push to fight global warming.

But as the mayor began to field questions about the proposal, it became apparent that certain details were unclear, and that critical support for the plan had not yet been lined up.

The mayor needs the City Council to pass legislation to carry out the proposal, yet no Council member was at the announcement, on the Brooklyn waterfront, with the glass towers of Lower Manhattan in the background. There were also no representatives of landlord or real estate groups, although some environmental activists turned up.