On June 2, 2017, Mayor Bill de Blasio signed Executive Order 26, committing New York City to the Paris Climate Agreement by reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) and carbon emissions to limit global temperature rise to less than 1.5°C (2.7°F) above pre-industrial levels. In early October, the Mayor's Office of Sustainability (MOS) published 1.5°C: Aligning New York City with the Paris Climate Agreement (Plan). The Plan builds on an existing initiative, 80 x 50, to reduce emissions by 80% (from 2005 levels) by 2050. The City also aims to achieve net carbon neutrality by 2050.

To meet the stated climate goals by 2050, the plan has a rapid timetable. Many aspects of the Plan will be implemented by 2020 to accelerate the decrease of GHG and carbon emissions.

The Plan focuses on four primary sectors for change. They are:

One of the main sources of GHG emissions in New York City is fossil fuels, oil, and natural gas that are burned for heat and hot water in buildings citywide. The current practice accounts for 39% of GHG emissions in the city. Recent state legislation addresses this issue by increasing the amount of biofuel required to be blended in heating oil in Westchester, Nassau, and Suffolk counties (see Legal Update, New Bioheating Fuel Requirements For Downstate New York). New York City's current legislation requires that all heating oil sold or used in the city contains 5% biodiesel. The percentage of biodiesel in heating oil scales to 10% beginning October 1, 2025.

Another way to reduce GHG emissions is by constructing energy efficient new buildings or retrofitting older buildings. The city and city council are working to create new versions of the energy code with a goal of 20% energy intensity reduction from 2005 levels by 2019 and 40% reduction by 2022. The current goal is 30% energy intensity reduction by 2025. By 2025, all new construction will be required to meet very low energy targets of 30% or greater energy intensity reduction compared to 2005 levels . The Plan does not prescribe specific methods to meet the forthcoming efficiency standards so that developers have choices in how they reach the targets.

The city will launch a Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy Financing (C-PACE) program to finance clean and efficient energy projects by treating the projects like public benefits.

City programs, like NYC Retrofit Accelerator, Community Retrofit NYC, and NYC Carbon Challenge help property owners connect to relevant resources and identify retrofits and programs to increase energy efficiency.

Major improvements are needed to the New York State energy transmission system. Currently, renewable energy produced upstate has difficulty being transmitted to New York City due to transmission bottlenecks, aging infrastructure, and lack of infrastructure to connect to renewable energy projects sited in remote areas. The City along with New York Stare are working to:

New York State wants at least 50% of its energy to come from renewable sources by 2030.

Private vehicle travel currently contributes about 90% of the transit-based GHG emissions in New York City. Plans to reduce transit-based emissions include:

GHG emissions from landfills and other waste streams can be reduced by:

The Plan aims to achieve zero waste to landfills by effectively recycling and composting, reducing food waste, and using landfill gas for energy.

Aligning New York City with the Paris Climate Agreement is going to take effort and time. Expect more legislation to be enacted detailing new energy building codes, renewable fuel requirements, waste disposal management, and transportation changes and requirements.