According to Crain’s New York, the city has begun Local Law 97 enforcement preparation with one year to go before the first filing date. Per their recent article:
Newly proposed investments in Mayor Eric Adams proposed executive budget for the 2025 fiscal year allocate $4 million and 36 new full-time staffers to enforce the city’s landmark decarbonization law…The new full-time positions would more than double the current team of 22 people working in the Department of Buildings preparing to enforce Local Law 97.
As a reminder, unlike other sustainability regulations (Local Laws 84 and 87, for example) enforcement for Local Law 97 will be dependent on various factors. That includes exceeding emissions limits ($268 per ton of carbon dioxide over the limit) and for failing to file the report (monthly fines calculated on the building’s size – “no greater than an amount equal to the gross floor area of such covered building, multiplied by $0.50,” to be specific).
May 1, 2025 is just the start of Local Law 97 enforcement, with waves of required properties submitting details the following year, and in some cases, 10 years from now. You can see Covered Buildings Lists for each compliance path here. That said, we (along with the city) highly recommend speaking with experts like Cadence OneFive to confirm requirements for your properties and make sure you’re on track.
You can also check out our most recent webinar on the Local Law 97 rules, updated last Fall.
Stay tuned for more updates as we get closer to the first filing date.
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