Law and Link to Full Text	Jurisdiction	Requirements	Benefits	Timeline
New York City Energy Conservation Code: New York City Council Int. 0564-2007	All buildings in New York City	Closure of the "50% loophole", allowing renovations of less than half the gross square footage of a structure to skirt energy code.	New lighting, HVAC, and building operations techonologies can develop much faster, and renovated buildings will see significant energy savings.	Immediately
Benchmarking: New York City Council Int. 0476-2006	All buildings in New York City over 50,000 square feet	Requires annual tracking of water and energy use through the US EPA's ENERGY STAR portfolio manager.	An ENERGY STAR rating, at the minimum, allows building managers to see how their building stacks up against comparable buildings.	Reporting required in May 2011 (May 2010 for city buildings); collection of 2010 water and energy data required.
Audits and Retrocommissioning: New York City Council Int. 0967-2009	All buildings in New York City over 50,000 square feet; exemptions apply. For a complete list of exemptions, see full text of law.	Energy Audit (meeting standards of ASHRAE Level II) and retrocommissioning required. Identify capital projects with "reasonable" pay back periods. Implementation is not required.	Quantifying the payback period justifies retrofitting projects to management teams. Participating buildings will qualify for two commissioning points under LEED for Existing Buildings:Operations and Maintenance.	Retrocommissioning must be completed not more than four years before the due date of an energy efficiency report. Energy efficiency reports are due between 2013 and 2020 in accordance to the building's tax block number (see full text of law)
Lighting and Submetering: New York City Council Int. 0973-2009	All buildings in New York City over 50,000 square feet	1. Major tenants with over 10,000 square feet must be submetered for electricity.	Submetering allows tenants to track their individual electricity consumption	Submetering must be implemented by January 1, 2025.
		2. Floors and multitenant spaces of over 10,000 square feet must have a submeter covering the entire space, at a minimum
		3. Lighting must be upgraded to current code whenever a renovation with construction costs of over $50,000 is pursued. It does not matter if the renovation does not involve electrical work.	Lighting accounts for 18% of energy use in buildings. Reducing the lighting load is an inexpensive and easy way to see immediate reductions in electricity costs and carbon emissions.	All lighting systems are required to meet section 805 of the New York City Energy Conservation Code by January 1, 2025.
New York City Green Codes Task Force	All buildings in New York City.	A report by Urban Green task force formed by Mayor Bloomberg taking building codes in New York City to the "next level"	Follow the progress of these rules: ranging from the "groundbreaking — new rules for insulating all-glass high rises— to common sense: managing overheated apartments and requiring stores shut off their lights after business hours."	Not implemented yet.
Law and Link to Full Text	Jurisdiction	Requirements	Additional Information	Timeline
New York City Local Law 87: Mandatory Recycling Program	Commercial Office Buildings without food service establishments	At the minimum, separation of high grade paper, newspapers, magazines, catalogs, phone books, corrugated cardboard, and textiles from food and beverage waste.	Food and beverage establishments must further source separate glass, metal, and plastic; all establishments must source separate bulk metal waste.	As of September 30, 1993
New York State Plastic Bag Reduction, Reuse, and Recycling Law	Retail stores with either over 10,000 square feet, or chains with over five stores over 5,000 square feet each.	Making reusable bags available; establishing a plastic bag recycling receptacle and keeping records of plastic bag recycling pick ups.		Currently effective.
Universal Waste Rule	All buildings: Applies to lamps, batteries, and thermostats. Allows buildings to handle commonly generated hazardous items in a less stringent manner than hazardous waste laws	Packaging items in a way to minimize breakage; proper labeling of containers; disposal with a certified hauler of hazardous/universal waste	Great Forest can help set up a program for recycling a building's universal waste in accordance with state law.	Currently Effective.
Bicycle Parking in Garages and Parking Lots	Parking garages with over 50 spaces	Must provide one bicycle space for every 10 vehicles spaces up to 200 spaces; one bike per 100 spaces after 200 spaces		As of September 13, 2009
Bicycle Access Law	Buildings that have an elevator or freight elevator large enough to fit a bicycle and do not have a parking garage with over 50 parking spaces	If requested from a tenant, the building owner/manager must complete a bicycle access plan within 30 days. Must allow tenant access during freight elevator operating hours	Exemption if adequate, free, covered bike storage is available within 750 feet or 3 blocks.	As of December 11, 2009