Boston City Council Hearing Shows Broad Support for Cutting Climate Emissions from Buildings

BOSTON -- Today the Boston City Council held a public hearing on an ordinance amendment introduced last month which would require existing buildings 20,000 square-feet and larger to reduce their carbon footprint over the next 30 years. Boston is only the fourth city in the U.S. to utilize this type of emissions reduction policy, following New York City, St. Louis, and Washington D.C. Next, the City Council will hold a working session on the ordinance in August.

Following is reaction from Lindsay Robbins, Senior Advisor, Building Efficiency & Decarbonization at NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council):

“Office and commercial buildings are Boston’s biggest climate polluters, thanks to the massive amount of oil and gas that is used to power, heat and cool them. It doesn’t have to be that way--the city can do more with less pollution by making buildings more efficient and equipped to use renewable energy. The City heard overwhelming support for an ordinance that would do just that, from a broad group of businesses, organizations and residents. That’s because reducing greenhouse gas emissions from buildings can improve public health, create jobs, and help secure a better future for everyone.”

NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council) is an international nonprofit environmental organization with more than 3 million members and online activists. Since 1970, our lawyers, scientists, and other environmental specialists have worked to protect the world's natural resources, public health, and the environment. NRDC has offices in New York City, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Bozeman, MT, and Beijing. Visit us at www.nrdc.org and follow us on Twitter @NRDC.