wnyc.org / 93.9fm / am 820

Buildings account for 80 percent of the green house gasses emitted in New York City and lighting can make up to 40 percent of that.

New building codes signed into law by Mayor Bloomberg yesterday seek to reduce the energy output devoted to lighting in commercial buildings, the common areas of residential buildings, and sidewalk sheds. Another code that passed says all building codes should consider the environment, along with public safety, health and welfare.

"When you change a code you're making what ever is in that code available to everyone," says Russel Unger, Director of the Urban Green Council, which consulted on the new codes. "So, everybody is going to get less expensive lighting."

Council Speaker Christine Quinn says that stakeholders were consulted about the new codes and supported their implementation. "Builders and real estate developers, they know that their tenants, their clients want efficient buildings," says Quinn." Their tenants, their clients want buildings that are going to contribute to the long term sustainability of our city, not take away from it."

Trade groups like the Building Owners and Managers Association support the new codes, because they can pay for themselves in as little as two years; and because many of their members already implement the standards.

Speaker Quinn and Mayor Bloomberg commissioned a study by the Green Codes Task Force that came up with the code recommendations.

The changes will roll out as new buildings are built and older ones are upgraded starting at the beginning of the year.