How NYC Is Scaling Its Climate Agenda

NEW YORK, NY — New York City is expanding climate investments across public housing while most green infrastructure projects remain unfinished and concentrated in Brooklyn.

More than half of pending projects in Brooklyn, Queens and Manhattan are in late-stage design, according to a Patch analysis of city data.

Brooklyn accounts for nearly 73 percent of those projects, compared with 25 percent in Queens and just over 2 percent in Manhattan.

About 32.11 percent are under construction, according to the data.

Green infrastructure projects are designed to manage stormwater in dense urban areas by absorbing rainfall before it enters the sewer system. In cities like New York City, rainwater often flows over pavement and rooftops into combined sewers, which can overflow during storms and discharge untreated waste into waterways.

To reduce that risk, the city installs systems such as rain gardens, permeable pavement and curbside bioswales that capture and filter water at street level. These projects aim to limit flooding and reduce pollution flowing into waterways including the East River and the Gowanus Canal.

How Is The City Expanding Its Sustainability Efforts?

Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced a new sustainability plan for the New York City Housing Authority that sets targets for the next five years.

The plan includes transitioning 20,000 apartments from fossil fuel-based heating to clean systems, installing 10,000 induction stoves and adding 150 public electric vehicle charging stations.

“Affordability and sustainability go hand in hand,” Mamdani said. “This agenda makes clear that when we invest in public housing, we are investing in lower bills, cleaner air and healthier communities.”

The city is also expanding solar incentives.

Officials expect more than 4,000 new beneficiaries of the Solar Electric Generating System tax abatement in fiscal year 2026, with total abatements exceeding $20 million.

Meanwhile, with Local Law 97, which requires large buildings to cut emissions or face penalties, 93 percent of covered properties submitted compliance reports in the first cycle, generating more than $1.46 million for decarbonization projects in affordable housing, according to officials.

The sustainability agenda builds on projects already underway at developments including Beach 41st Street Houses and Woodside Houses, where heat pump installations are expanding.

City officials said the broader strategy aims to reduce building emissions 40 percent by 2030 and reach carbon neutrality by 2050, while continuing to scale infrastructure designed to manage stormwater and improve environmental conditions across neighborhoods.