On today’s electrifying episode of Quick Charge, we’ve got Sylvie Binder from the New York City Mayor’s Office here to tell us about the newly launched North American Electric Construction Coalition (NAECC) is committed to decarbonizing the construction industry, and NYC is already making serious headway.
Timed perfectly to hit the news cycle at the end of Climate Week and just ahead of Drive Electric Week, the New York City Mayor’s Office of Climate & Environmental Justice announced the formation of the NAECC in partnership with other C40 Cities like Austin, Texas, Boulder, Colorado, and San Diego and Long Beach, California (among others). Together with industry partners and trade allies, the NAECC plans to connect business and public sector stakeholders who are committed to developing the electric construction and heavy equipment markets in North America.
“This market is currently in its infancy and ripe for innovation. Making the switch to this type of equipment helps to reduce noise and air pollution, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and achieve carbon neutrality,” reads the press copy. “Cities and manufacturers often come together to solve our toughest sustainability challenges, and coalition members are committed to driving change when it comes to electric construction equipment.”
NYC is stepping up
How we construct our buildings and infrastructure greatly impacts the sustainability and resiliency of NYC. Construction as an industry is responsible for nearly 25% of all global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions — and that number will only continue to climb as the on-road segment continues to electrify.
In an effort to push back on that, the city of New York has ramped up its commitments to Embodied Carbon and Clean Construction, and is taking on a leadership role in electrifying construction sites by identifying those efforts as, “integral to our environmental justice and decarbonization agenda.”
A number of industry partners have already signed on, including AIA New York and the Building Trades Employers Association. Together NAECC coalition partners spend over $13 billion (with a “b”) on construction in North America. By joining forces, they hope to cut noise and air pollution, improve the quality of life of people who live and work around heavy equipment, and demonstrate the power of cities and local governments to drive market growth.
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