As cities worldwide intensify efforts to curb carbon emissions, New York City’s Local Law 97 has set a new benchmark for building energy efficiency. This law, part of the city's Climate Mobilization Act, targets significant emission reductions from buildings, which contribute a major share of the city's carbon footprint. Ontario's Energy and Water Reporting and Benchmarking (EWRB) mandate and Toronto’s By-law 367 are efforts that reflect a similar commitment to sustainability.
Local Law 97: An Overview
Local Law 97, effective from January 1, 2024, imposes stringent emission caps on approximately 50,000 buildings in New York City. Mayor Eric Adams' proposed budget for fiscal year 2025 allocates $4 million and adds 36 new full-time staffers to the enforcement team, significantly boosting the city’s capacity to ensure compliance. This brings the total enforcement team to 58 members, more than doubling the previous number. This investment underscores the city's dedication to achieving an 80% reduction in carbon emissions by 2050, focusing on buildings that account for two-thirds of these emissions.
Enforcement and Impact
With the additional staff and funding, New York City aims to rigorously enforce Local Law 97, ensuring that building owners take necessary actions to meet emission targets. Buildings that exceed their carbon caps face fines of $268 per ton of carbon dioxide over the limit, potentially amounting to tens of thousands of dollars annually. This robust enforcement mechanism is designed to compel building owners to invest in energy efficiency measures and reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.
Ontario’s EWRB Mandate and Toronto By-law 367: A Unified Approach
Ontario’s EWRB mandate, established under Ontario Regulation 506/18, requires large buildings to report their energy and water usage annually. This initiative aims to enhance energy efficiency by promoting transparency and accountability. Building owners must submit data to the Ministry of Energy by July 1st, which is then published to create benchmarks for energy performance.
Toronto By-law 367 requires large buildings to report their energy and water usage. This by-law mandates that buildings over 100,000 square feet submit annual their energy consumption to the city. This will help identify opportunities for energy savings and operational enhancements, which compliments the city's TransformTO initiative, aiming to cut community-wide greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by 2050.
Local Law 97 serves as an exemplar for Ontario and
Toronto in several ways:
Enforcement and Staffing: New York City’s significant investment in enforcement staff highlights the importance of adequate resources. Ontario and Toronto could follow suit by ensuring sufficient funding and staffing to support the EWRB mandate and By-law 367.
Penalties and Compliance: The stringent penalties under Local Law 97 for exceeding emission caps emphasize the need for strict compliance mechanisms. Ontario and Toronto could consider similar penalty structures to ensure building owners adhere to energy reporting and audit requirements.
Transparency and Accountability: Both Local Law 97 and the EWRB mandate prioritize transparency. By making energy and water usage data publicly available, these initiatives drive accountability and motivate building owners to improve energy performance.
Ontario’s EWRB mandate and Toronto By-law 367 are vital steps towards enhancing building energy efficiency and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. By drawing lessons from New York City’s Local Law 97, these initiatives can be further strengthened to ensure robust compliance and significant emission reductions.
As cities like New York lead the charge with comprehensive laws and dedicated enforcement, Ontario and Toronto are well-positioned to follow suit. Through collaborative efforts and sustained commitment, we can achieve our climate goals and pave the way for a greener, more sustainable future.
For more information on New York's Law 97, click here.