Mayor Adams unveiled a new economic plan Wednesday geared toward addressing climate change and creating 5,000 new jobs — and which his administration predicted will generate $55 billion of “economic impact” for the city.
The newly released 121-page book of policy prescriptions, which Team Adams has dubbed the Green Economy Action Plan, includes an investment of up to $100 million for climate tech startups at the Brooklyn Army Terminal’s Climate Innovation Hub in Sunset Park, the creation of 12,000 “green economy” apprenticeships by 2040 and new electric vehicle charging stations at Kennedy Airport and the Brooklyn Navy Yard.
“We’re introducing a new terminology in our society: green-collar jobs — jobs where you can ensure improving the environment is also improving our lifestyle,” Adams said during a news conference at the Brooklyn Army Terminal. “New York City is leading the way in this new category.”
The mayor’s new action plan includes a $725 million investment from the city Economic Development Corp., the Brooklyn Navy Yard and the Trust for Governors Island to build a “green economy ecosystem” that’s linked by the city’s waterways. That effort will include 6 million square feet of space for climate research and training at the Navy Yard and on Governors Island, according to the plan.
The Climate Innovation Hub is expected to complement that effort by providing a home for green businesses and tech startups focused on addressing climate change. Adams administration officials predicted it will serve 150 startup companies over the next 10 years, generate $2.6 billion for the local economy and lead to 600 new jobs.
The mayor also predicted that by 2040 there will be about 400,000 green economy jobs in New York City. Those jobs run the gamut from work traditionally viewed as blue collar — like electricians, plumbers and HVAC installers — to occupations that typically require college degrees, like civil and electrical engineers.
Critics of the mayor voiced skepticism over whether Adams will follow through on his plan, though, pointing out that previous promises he’s made about implementing policies to address climate change haven’t been fully realized.
Theodore Moore, executive director of the advocacy group Alliance for a Greater New York, said what’s needed now is “action on implementation.”
“In 2022, Adams committed to electrify 100 NYC public schools by 2030, but has only allocated funds for 33 through 2029. We want to see him assign funds and go further, with deep retrofits and ventilation upgrades,” Moore said in a written statement. “Investing in green, healthy schools will save the city millions in utility costs and climate disaster repairs, create thousands of green union jobs, meet the mandates of our climate laws, and ensure that students, teachers, and staff can breathe clean air and attend school safely. It’s time for the mayor to make good on his motto and #GetStuffDone.”
Peter Sikora of New York Communities for Change homed in on Adams’ approach to the climate laws that Moore touched on as well, and said his own skepticism over whether the mayor’s new goals will be achieved is rooted in his “weakening enforcement of NYC’s landmark climate and jobs law, Local Law 97.”
That law requires building owners to cut carbon emissions generated by their properties or face fines. But the immediate penalties proscribed by the law were softened last year under new rules adopted by the administration that allow building owners to get two-year extensions on enforcement if the city determines they’re making a “good faith effort” toward compliance.
“Already, he’s likely cost New York thousands of jobs in the sector by letting landlords off the hook from undertaking energy efficiency projects on their properties in the next two years,” Sikora said. “If Mayor Adams was serious about creating good jobs, he would fully implement and enforce Local Law 97.”
Liz Garcia, a spokeswoman for Adams, pushed back on the critique, saying that the administration has worked hard on implementing the law, in part by giving building owners “the educational tools to know how to comply” through community events and online workshops.
“When the law was passed, 20% of buildings were out of compliance with our 2024 emissions limits. Now it’s 11%,” she said. “Our efforts are working.”
Like Local Law 97, the new plan Adams released Wednesday includes a focus on lowering harmful emissions from buildings as well. The first goal listed in the plan seeks to “decarbonize buildings & construction.”
To achieve that, the administration lists two “marquee” initiatives — one that will involve applying more efficient construction guidelines to “all capital projects” and another effort to partner with private businesses to launch “community hiring networks” to help place low-income workers in jobs.
“We want to ensure that we are not going to miss the opportunity to educate, train and position New Yorkers from all backgrounds to benefit from this new economy,” Adams said.
