City of Yes for Carbon Neutrality- DCP

Department of City Planning


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City of Yes

Carbon Neutrality

Adopted December 6, 2023

City of Yes for Carbon Neutrality passed the City Council on December 6, 2023.

City of Yes for Carbon Neutrality will modernize our city’s zoning regulations to support our climate goals.

The world is facing a climate emergency. To respond, cities across the globe — including New York City — have set ambitious goals to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. To achieve our goals by 2050, we need to transform our energy grid, retrofit our buildings, and shift to electric vehicles, transit and other modes.

The Department of City Planning (NYC Planning) is working with the Department of Buildings (DOB), New York City Fire Department (FDNY), and Mayor's Office of Climate and Environmental Justice (MOCEJ) on this proposal to clear the way for the many green investments needed in our buildings.

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What will City of Yes for Carbon Neutrality do?

Why is this initiative needed?

City of Yes for Carbon Neutrality supporters

FAQ and Resources

Past meetings

What will City of Yes for Carbon Neutrality do?

View the April 24, 2023 City Planning Commission presentation deck here.

Download illustrated summaries of City of Yes for Carbon Neutrality here.

Support a renewable energy grid

City of Yes will remove existing zoning obstacles that severely limit how much space on a rooftop can be covered by solar panels, unnecessarily hampering clean solar energy. It will also make it easier to install energy storage for solar power generated locally.

Among other impacts, these changes will open solar opportunities in over 8,500 acres of parking lots across the city.

Make our buildings clean and efficient

In recent years, the NYC Construction Codes have been updated to include stringent requirements on energy efficiency and building performance. In some instances, zoning regulations stand in the way of the solutions buildings need to use to meet these standards.

City of Yes will address burdensome restrictions on wall thickness, height, and other regulations that limit building electrification and retrofitting. Our buildings could get energy efficient upgrades while maintaining the look and feel of New York’s neighborhoods.

Among other impacts, these changes will support environmentally friendly retrofits for over 50,000 buildings, including over 1 million homes, that are not currently feasible to retrofit today.

Support the growth of electric vehicles and micro-mobility

Electric Vehicle Charging

Source: Department of Transportation

New York has ambitious goals for electrifying its transportation sector, but recent studies show it is significantly behind other major U.S. cities. Of the city’s 1.9 million private vehicles, less than 1% are zero-emission vehicles, and there are very limited public locations available to charge electric vehicles. City of Yes will facilitate electric vehicle charging in public garages and other places where it is needed.

Just one of the proposals to ease EV charging will more than double the space available for charging in commercial areas of the city – more than 400 million additional square feet. It will also clarify regulations and facilitate safe bicycle and e-mobility parking.

Reduce waste and stormwater and grow food

An example of a bioswale

Improving the city’s waste stream is key to achieving carbon neutrality. This will require a substantial reduction in the amount of waste being sent to landfills. It will also require a reduction in the amount of stormwater that gets sent to our wastewater treatment plants.

City of Yes will expand the use of permeable paving and rain gardens, remove red tape and uncertainty for recycling and composting, and facilitate rooftop food production.

Read an in-depth project description

Read the proposed zoning text with annotations

Why is this initiative needed?

Bold changes are needed to meet our ambitious climate goals. We must update our regulations to reflect the latest developments in our city’s climate response and evolving technologies that can help us achieve these goals, which include:

In 2016, the City introduced “80x50,” setting an ambitious target of 80% carbon emission reduction by 2050.

The Paris Climate Agreement of 2016 established a goal of cutting emissions to limit global warming to no more than two degrees Celsius.

In 2019, the City enacted the Climate Mobilization Act, containing some of the strictest laws in the nation. Among other things, it will require many large buildings to cut their carbon emissions or face significant fines.

In 2020, the City adopted a more stringent energy code to enhance efficiency and building performance for new development.

Architects and engineers working on sustainable building projects have identified many ways to vastly step up our Zone Green rules.

City of Yes for Carbon Neutrality Supporters

Read letters from environmental and tenant advocates, from practitioners including architects, and from NYC agencies in support of City of Yes for Carbon Neutrality.

Alliance for Clean Energy New York (ACE NY)

American Institute of Architects, Urban Green Council, and New York League of Conservation Voters

Association for a Better New York

Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson

Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynos

Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce

Catholic Charities Progress of Peoples Development Corporation

Center for Zero Waste Design

Citizens Housing Planning Council (CHPC)

Freelancers Union

Greater Jamaica Development Corporation

Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine

NYC Department of Buildings, NYC Fire Department (FDNY), and NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission
NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development

Mayor's Office of Climate and Environmental Justice

New York Passive House / PHIUS/ The Passive House Network

New York State Association for Affordable Housing (NYSAFAH)

New York Solar Energy Industries Association

New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA)

Partnership for New York City

New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA)

Partnership for New York City

Queens Borough President Donovan Richards

Regional Plan Association

Revel

Solar One

WE ACT for Environmental Justice

To submit a letter of support from your organization, please contact carbonneutrality@planning.nyc.gov.

FAQ and Resources

Is there financial assistance for owners or developers to put green infrastructure in their homes or buildings?

The best first stop for someone seeking financial or technical assistance is NYC Accelerator (here), which provides resources, training, and one-on-one guidance to help building owners and industry professionals improve energy efficiency and reduce carbon emissions from buildings in NYC.

Will this proposal allow EV charging on street parking spaces?

City of Yes for Carbon Neutrality will make it easier for property owners to install EV chargers in basements and commercial lots, such as a supermarket parking lot. The proposal does not cover street parking, which is not controlled by zoning. Streets are in the purview of the Department of Transportation (DOT), which is collaborating with the Mayor’s Office of Climate and Environmental Justice to expand access to public EV charging on streets across the five boroughs. Learn more about DOT’s EV charging program here.

Are NYC’s power grids ready to handle the extra energy used by electric vehicles charging in residential buildings?

Con Edison (Con Ed) has committed to building an energy grid that delivers 100% clean energy by 2040. The changes DCP is proposing will further support Con Ed’s efforts to expanding cleaner energy across NYC. Read more about Con Ed’s commitment here. A recent initiative to support their commitment is Reliable Clean City, which will strengthen NYC’s electric grid to use cleaner energy in the outer boroughs.

This proposal seeks to make it easier to modify buildings for energy efficiency. Will this be allowed in historic districts or landmarked buildings?

Modifying existing buildings to improve their energy efficiency is known as retrofitting a building. NYC Planning’s proposal will remove zoning barriers to retrofitting in a broad range of zoning districts including those in historic districts. Owners of landmarked buildings will have the option to retrofit their buildings as well. The Landmark Preservation Commission (LPC) will continue to evaluate these retrofit requests.

City of Yes for Carbon Neutrality seeks to allow battery storage in residential buildings. Did NYC Planning take into consideration the safety of these batteries close to residential areas?

The New York City Fire Department (FDNY) and the Department of Buildings (DOB) have standards and regulations for battery energy storage systems on buildings. These types of batteries are regulated and need to be approved by FDNY and DOB before they’re installed on buildings. We have been working with FDNY and DOB to develop the proposal and will continue conversations with the agencies around the safety of this technology.

Past Meetings

March 28, 2023 info session recording

March 20, 2023 info session recording

March 2023 info session presentation slides

Share questions or comments

Please contact carbonneutrality@planning.nyc.gov with questions or comments.

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