Beginning in 2020, many NYC buildings are required to post letter grades that represent their energy efficiency performance, as the city strives to reduce both local pollutants as well as greenhouse gas emissions that cause climate change.
Under the NYC law, most buildings with over 25,000 square feet of floor area must report their energy usage each year, a process called “benchmarking”. A federal energy analysis tool called ENERGY STAR then assigns a 1-100 energy efficiency rating to the building – but only if it falls into a limited number of categories, including apartment buildings, student residence halls, hotels, K-12 schools, offices, supermarkets, and warehouses. Based on that score, buildings then receive a score of A (85-100), B (70-85), C (55-69), or D (54 or below). Buildings also may post an F (if they failed to submit energy use data) or N (if they are not required to report a letter grade, perhaps because ENERGY STAR does not provide a score for that building type).
In honor of World Food Day 2020, NYU proudly joins the Cool Food Pledge, a commitment to reduce food-related greenhouse gas emissions 25% by 2030. This food pledge will encompass all dining facilities in NYU’s campuses in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Shanghai, and Abu Dhabi.