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The hometown of President Trump could give green to his famous real estate properties. A new invoice Approved by New York City Council last week, thousands of tall buildings in the city, including those bearing the name of the president, will be subject to strict environmental regulations.
"President Trump could look closely or even downright denying the existence of climate change, but the city of New York is determined to combat the dramatic effects, which pose a serious threat to our future," said Costa Constantinides. , a board member who led the effort, told CBS News.
"Reports show that Trump Tower and other properties are among the dirtiest emitters of the Big Apple. These are the bad actors that we have to hold accountable because their emissions make them look dirtier, fuel more violent weather and endanger New York City's future. "
On Thursday, the council passed the law on mobilization for climate, a set of environmental bills called the version of the Green New Deal. Mayor Bill de Blasio is expected to sign the bill, which is one of the most important climate initiatives adopted by any city in the world.
The legislation does not explicitly mention Mr. Trump or his buildings. The Trump organization did not send back requests for comments from CBS News.
The heart of the legislation is the requirement for buildings over 25,000 square feet to abide by the new rules on reducing carbon emissions. This includes skyscrapers around Manhattan bearing the name of the president, including Trump Tower, which houses his penthouse and the headquarters of the Trump organization.
The legislation also applies to many of New York's most iconic buildings, such as the Empire State Building, the Chrysler Building and the World Trade Center.
City officials and supporters have named Trump Tower as one of New York's least energy-efficient buildings. A 2015 report by the Alliance for Greater New York, a non-profit organization, indicates that the 58-story glass tower uses more energy per square foot than 93% of large residential buildings in New York. New York.
Energy Star, a certification program run by the EPA and the US Department of Energy, gave Trump Tower an energy efficiency rating of 44 out of 100, or 30 percent below average, according to Crain , New York.
The other buildings developed by Mr. Trump, including the Trump International Hotel & Tower, the former Trump SoHo Hotel (now the Dominick Hotel) and the Trump World Tower, located near the United Nations, were below average by Energy Star. Only one Trump property, located at 40 Wall Street, received a good rating for energy consumption. (Mr. Trump proposed to eliminate the Energy Star program in his federal budget proposals, but Congress refused.) No building bearing Mr. Trump's name in the United States is LEED certified, according to the United States Green Building Council database.
These new regulations also apply to buildings owned in part by the Kushner companies, a company run by the family of Mr. Trump's son-in-law and senior advisor, Jared Kushner. They also turn to other expensive residential buildings that consume energy. A 2015 Greater New York Alliance study found that 10 of Manhattan's "elite" residential addresses are among the least energy-efficient buildings in the city. These buildings included two Trump properties, as well as buildings on 5th Avenue and Park Avenue with some of the most expensive units in New York. The study revealed that almost all of these buildings, including those of the Trump brand, are mostly private condominiums.
Under the City's Climate Mobilization Act, these buildings must install new windows and new insulation to increase energy efficiency. They must also reduce their carbon emissions by 40% by 2030 and by 80% by 2050. Violators of the new rules could be fined.
The Trump administration has significantly reduced emissions regulations as part of its broader environmental policy drawbacks. The EPA said in 2018 that its own plan to ease emission guidelines could cause up to 1,400 premature deaths a year. An analysis by economic firm Rhodium Group estimated that US carbon emissions jumped 3.4% last year – the largest increase since 2010.
The Climate Mobilization Act includes other provisions that go against Mr. Trump's skepticism about climate initiatives. One bill amends building codes to support new wind turbines and another requires some buildings to install plants, solar panels or wind turbines on their roofs. Mr. Trump has ridiculous wind turbines for years and recently made the false assertion that the noise of wind turbines causes cancer.
Trump has taken steps to protect his properties from the effects of climate change. His golf course in Ireland will be build a wall along the sea as a barrier against erosion and rising sea levels. The permit application explicitly mentioned "global warming and its effects".
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