One bill sponsored by Council Member Jim Gennaro, marks a pivotal shift in the focus of New York City’s construction codes. Until today, the purpose of these codes was to promote “public safety, health and welfare”; now “the environment” has been added to this list.

http://legistar.council.nyc.gov/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=666609&GUID=5BD56198-8984-4D51-9128-F29BB5B66A96&Options=ID|Text|&Search=building+code

This important addition lays the foundation for greening the construction codes and underscores the critical role the Department of Buildings will play moving forward. The four other bills improve the energy efficiency of lighting across the city, largely by replacing outdated standards in current codes and making way for new technologies. http://blog.urbangreencouncil.org/