Achieving Sustainability in New York City
Just in time for Earth Day, New York City has released a new sustainability plan that is as much about means as it is about ends. Like the initial plan released by the Bloomberg administration in 2007, the Adams plan is grounded in reality, both ideal and operational. Its strategy is to deploy resources from the Inflation Reduction Act, federal infrastructure funds, and the $4 billion New York State Environmental Bond Act to accelerate New York’s transition to a sustainable city. The program focuses on protecting against climate threats caused by extreme weather and helping building owners as buildings decarbonize. It links protecting the quality of the environment with quality of life through investments in green spaces and clean water, including improving our transport systems and recycling food waste. The plan emphasizes so-called “green economy engines” and emphasizes business and job opportunities in a green economy.
The first of the plan’s nine guiding principles focuses on pragmatic action. According to the planthe city must:
“Move urgently and focus on implement. policy development and legislation The past 16 years left a lot of work behind.In some cases, this is by design, knowing that projects can take decades; others In some cases, this is due to pandemic-related delays or the unimaginable complexity of implementing breakthrough climate laws and policies.This plan Prioritize implementation and achieve sustainability. “
The last two of the plan’s nine guiding principles emphasize the need to transform city government itself to facilitate the transition to sustainable development. The eighth of the plan’s nine guiding principles is an effort to change New York’s dreaded and bureaucratic budget process. it advocates the implementation:
“…climate budgets align city resources with sustainability and resilience targets to ensure we continue to focus on prioritizing climate change and our environmental justice Investing and making decisions, New York City will be one The first global city, the first Major U.S. cities launch climate budget initiatives.Climate budgeting is a process that incorporates science-based climate considerations city budget decisions Approach by assessing how today’s actions and spending contribute Achieve long-term climate goals.This process will allow us to understand climate The impact of the dollars we spend, identifying where more is invested Need for, and champion forward-looking investing. “
The New York government is a large and unwieldy machine, and under climate budgeting it will be directed to identify and analyze the environmental impact of government actions. This would greatly increase the impact of dedicated environmental investments in sustainable development programmes. The last of the plan’s nine guiding principles is streamlining the procurement process: it’s currently an absolute nightmare for anyone trying to rely on city action for anything. According to the planwhose ninth guiding principle is:
“Simplifying New York City’s procurement process to expedite project delivery Identifying process inefficiencies can help the City become more nimble and better able to deploy resources where and when they are most needed. In addition to the recommendations of the Capital Process Reform Task Force, the 2022 report of the Building and Land Use Approval Simplification Task Force was released, which identified 111 ways in which the development process could be disrupted, with recommendations for solutions to simplify and shorten the new Project Approval.through improved contracting and procurement efficiency and The way we implement public projects, our cities’ responses to climate Change will be accelerated.the city is Work on improving contracting and procurement processes – including finding ways to take over Most efficient structure – to implement our project. “
New York City’s budget, human resources, and procurement policies are a nightmare of complexity, bureaucracy, and inertia. It’s amazing how anything can be done in the face of these arcane and outdated rules and procedures. I’ll offer a personal example: Since the start of the pandemic, I’ve had the opportunity to visit two much-needed construction projects in Morningside Park, a place my wife and I enjoy walking most mornings.First is rebuilding the basketball court and playground south of 120day Streets on the east side of the park, and a second, some pavement at the southern end of the park is still in progress. The building is characterized by long periods of inactivity, with sudden bursts of movement followed by long periods of inactivity. The lack of effective coordination of work is evident; if that’s the amount of time it takes to do simple things, I shudder at the thought of contracting for something as complex as a motor vehicle charging station. The budgetary and contractual focus of sustainable development plans is noteworthy and important if municipalities are to facilitate rather than impede the transition to sustainable cities.
The plan makes an important point that many building blocks are already in place to achieve a more sustainable New York City. The state’s Public Service Commission, the regulator for New York’s energy system, is led by Rory Christian, a dedicated and highly capable sustainability professional with extensive experience in renewable energy, energy efficiency and environmental justice . New York City’s overall environmental efforts are led by Rohit Aggarwala, another talented and experienced sustainability professional who established New York City’s first Sustainability Office under the leadership of Mike Bloomberg and leads Developed the city’s first sustainable development plan: PLANYC2030. In addition to exceptional leadership, there are federal, state, and local resources and mandates to decarbonize the city’s buildings and energy systems and advance New York’s transition to renewable energy. The program acknowledges these resources and now focuses on “getting the job done.” We’ve had a lot of words and symbolic gestures (Mayor de Blasio’s specialty), now it’s time for action.
The plan contains detailed recommended actions for each goal. These actions are clear, actionable, and often described visually and verbally. There are examples, profiles and case studies, all designed to demonstrate the viability and appeal of each proposal. Prominent throughout the program are photos of everyday New Yorkers working to make our city more sustainable and enjoying the city’s benefits. These case studies and profiles convey the tangible benefits of urban diversity and a sustainable New York.
I was also encouraged by the program’s understanding of the business opportunities presented by the transition to a green economy. Governments can build infrastructure, and they can formulate and implement policies, but most of the actual work of sustainable urban development will be done by the private sector. Sometimes the role of the private sector is to act as a government contractor, but more often the private sector will respond to market forces and capitalize on the business opportunities presented by the transformation that is currently underway. Many business leaders in New York City understand the opportunities that are emerging. Last Friday, I had the honor of hosting the opening of the Columbia University Sustainability Management Students Association (SUMASA) Annual Sustainability Symposium, attended by our students, faculty, alumni and an impressive group of sustainable professional. Many of the conference speakers are local entrepreneurs who are already involved in the city’s green economy.Earlier this week, we sponsored an event to introduce my new book Transitioning to Environmental Sustainability, a large crowd gathers at the Low Rotunda (Columbia University’s iconic public space) Learn about the progress we’ve made on the green economyThe energy and enthusiasm of our students and sustainability colleagues is present throughout the week and throughout Earth Day – and is also present in the city’s impressive new sustainability plan.
All of this makes me even more optimistic that we can address environmental sustainability issues and that New York City will help lead the way by providing a model for other great cities in America and the world. mayor adams deserves high praise For empowering his team to develop and publish the plan, and for deploying his political capital to support practical, real-world oriented sustainability planning, policy, programs, and management. New Yorkers are pragmatic realists, and I’m sure they’ll respond positively to the “Getting Things Done” initiative.
