File #: Int 0270-2018    Version: * Name: Carbon accounting
Type: Introduction Status: Filed (End of Session)
Committee: Committee on Environmental Protection
On agenda: 1/31/2018
Enactment date: Law number:
Title: A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to carbon accounting
Sponsors: Justin L. Brannan, Ben Kallos, Brad S. Lander, (by request of the Queens Borough President)
Council Member Sponsors: 3
Summary: This local law mandates that preliminary budget accounting and executive budget accounting include an accounting of the carbon emissions, carbon offsets, carbon mitigation and net carbon impact that would be generated by each unit of appropriation in the preliminary budget, by each agency, and by the entire city government and include, where appropriate, the changes from the adopted budget for previous year to the carbon emissions, carbon offsets, carbon mitigation and net carbon impact that would be generated by each unit of appropriation in the preliminary budget, by each agency, and by the entire city government with an explanation of the cause of such changes.
Indexes: Report Required
Attachments: 1. Summary of Int. No. 270, 2. Int. No. 270, 3. January 31, 2018 - Stated Meeting Agenda, 4. Hearing Transcript - Stated Meeting 01-31-2018, 5. Minutes of the Stated Meeting - January 31, 2018, 6. Committee Report 2/25/20, 7. Hearing Testimony 2/25/20, 8. Hearing Transcript 2/25/20
Date Ver.Prime SponsorAction ByActionResultAction DetailsMeeting DetailsMultimedia
12/31/2021*Justin L. Brannan City Council Filed (End of Session)  Action details Meeting details Not available
2/25/2020*Justin L. Brannan Committee on Environmental Protection Hearing Held by Committee  Action details Meeting details Not available
2/25/2020*Justin L. Brannan Committee on Environmental Protection Laid Over by Committee  Action details Meeting details Not available
1/31/2018*Justin L. Brannan City Council Referred to Comm by Council  Action details Meeting details Not available
1/31/2018*Justin L. Brannan City Council Introduced by Council  Action details Meeting details Not available

Int. No. 270

 

By Council Members Brannan, Kallos and Lander (by request of the Queens Borough President)

 

A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to carbon accounting

 

Be it enacted by the Council as follows:

 

Section 1. Subchapter 2 of chapter 1 of title 3 of the administrative code of the city of New York is amended by adding a new section 3-127 to read as follows:

                     § 3-127 Carbon accounting. a. Definitions. As used in this chapter:

Carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e). The terms “carbon dioxide equivalent” and “CO2e” mean the quantity of carbon dioxide gas expressed in metric tons that would have the same GWP when measured over a timescale of 100 years as a given quantity of a greenhouse gas.

Carbon emissions. The term “carbon emissions” means greenhouse gas emissions from any source, as expressed in CO2e.

Carbon offsets. The term “carbon offset” means a project or process owned or operated by the city that captures and sequesters or chemically decomposes a greenhouse gas from the atmosphere, as expressed in CO2e.

Carbon mitigation. The term “carbon mitigation” means a project or process owned or operated by an entity other than the city the expenses of which are paid in whole or in part from the city treasury that captures and sequesters or chemically decomposes a greenhouse gas prior to its release into the atmosphere, or results in a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from any source by the replacement or retrofit of mechanical or electrical equipment or by conversion to an alternative source of energy. Carbon mitigation shall be measured as the reduction of the pre-mitigation release of greenhouse gas into the atmosphere, as expressed in CO2e, for the entire useful life of any mechanical or electrical equipment used to achieve such mitigation, as appropriate, prorated by the percentage of funds used to finance such mitigation that were paid from the city treasury.

Global warming potential (GWP). The terms “global warming potential” and “GWP” mean the total infrared radiation energy that a greenhouse gas absorbs over a period of time compared to carbon dioxide. The GWP value for any particular greenhouse gas shall be equal to the value for such gas as listed in column “GWP 100-year” of table 8.A.1, Radiative efficiencies (REs), lifetimes/adjustment times, AGWP and GWP values for 20 and 100 years, and AGTP and GTP values for 20, 50 and 100 years, of Climate Change 2013: The Physical Science Basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change as published on September 30, 2013.

Greenhouse gas. The term “greenhouse gas” means a gas that absorbs infrared radiation in the atmosphere, and specifically any gas listed in table 8.A.1, Radiative efficiencies (REs), lifetimes/adjustment times, AGWP and GWP values for 20 and 100 years, and AGTP and GTP values for 20, 50 and 100 years, of Climate Change 2013: The Physical Science Basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change as published on September 30, 2013.

Net carbon impact. The term “net carbon impact” means an amount equal to the carbon emissions less the carbon offsets and carbon mitigation that would be generated by a unit of appropriation, by an agency, or by the entire city government, respectively.

b. Preliminary budget accounting. Not later than the day the mayor submits the preliminary budget to the council pursuant to section 236 of the charter, the mayor shall submit to the council an accounting of the carbon emissions, carbon offsets, carbon mitigation and net carbon impact that would be generated by each unit of appropriation in the preliminary budget, by each agency, and by the entire city government. The second and subsequent annual reports submitted pursuant to this subdivision shall also include, where appropriate, the changes from the adopted budget for previous year to the carbon emissions, carbon offsets, carbon mitigation and net carbon impact that would be generated by each unit of appropriation in the preliminary budget, by each agency, and by the entire city government with an explanation of the cause of such changes.

c. Executive budget accounting. Not later the day the mayor submits the executive budget to the council pursuant to section 249 of the charter, the mayor shall submit to the council an accounting of the carbon emissions, carbon offsets, carbon mitigation and net carbon impact that would be generated by each unit of appropriation in the executive budget, by each agency, and by the entire city government. The second and subsequent annual reports submitted pursuant to this subdivision shall also include, where appropriate, the changes from the adopted budget for previous year to the carbon emissions, carbon offsets, carbon mitigation and net carbon impact that would be generated by each unit of appropriation in the executive budget, by each agency, and by the entire city government, with an explanation of the cause of such changes.

d. Methodology. The director of the office of long-term planning and sustainability shall establish the methodology by which carbon emissions, carbon offsets and carbon mitigation shall be calculated. A description of the methodology shall be included with each report submitted pursuant to subdivisions b or c of this section.

§ 2. This local law takes effect immediately.

SS/JJD

LS 3631/Int. 1074-2016

LS 196

1/5/2018