Res 1222-2020

By Council Members Rivera, Gjonaj, Ampry-Samuel, Chin, Cornegy, Cab�n, Rosenthal, Dinowitz, Kallos, Louis and Rose Whereas, The new estimate of 2019's global carbon emissions, conducted by Global Carbon Project, revealed that Fossil CO2 emissions are set to grow 0.6% to a record high of 37 billion metric tons; and Whereas, According to New York City's (NYC) OneNYC 2050 report, by the 2050s, the City's average temperatures are expected to increase by up to 5.7 degrees Fahrenheit, and many more New Yorkers may die each summer from intense heat; and Whereas, Additionally, within the same timeframe, sea levels are expected to rise by up to 30 inches and cause coastal flooding, which would impact nearly 1 million residents who will live in the expanded coastal floodplain; and Whereas, According to a Data for Progress report, A Green New Deal for New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) Communities, NYCHA currently uses 40%-50% more energy per square foot than the median NYC multi-family building, while providing unhealthy home environments that lack comfort and safety; and Whereas, According to the abovementioned plan, NYCHA's backlog of $31.8 billion in repairs is a result of decades of disinvestment in low-income communities of color; and Whereas, In 2019, the City Council passed the Climate Mobilization Act requiring most large buildings to reduce their emissions by 40% by 2030 and 80% by 2050, however NYCHA buildings were exempt; and Whereas, The Green New Deal for Public Housing Act, introduced by Senator Bernard Sanders and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, aims to rehabilitate, upgrade and transition all public housing into carbon-free homes through education, training and jobs; and Whereas, The benefits of A Green New Deal for NYCHA include investment in low-income and racialized communities and the creation of over 300 thousand jobs in the City over the course of ten years; and Whereas, Additional benefits include improvements to safety, health, and comfort for NYCHA residents while ultimately reducing NYCHA's annual carbon emissions to zero by 2030; now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York calls upon the United States Congress to pass and the President to sign the Green New Deal for Public Housing Act. LS #12970 12/17/19 AR