Local Law 86, the Green Building Standards Law, became effective on January 1, 2007. The law applies to certain City-funded building construction or renovation projects and is intended to reduce New York City's electricity consumption, air pollution and water use, as well as improve occupant health and worker productivity through the application of green building standards. The full text of Local Law 86 and the proposed rules governing green building standards are available at www.nyc.gov/oec.
The green building rating system referenced in Local Law 86 is the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standard developed by the United States Green Building Council. Additional information on LEED is available at www.usgbc.org.
The Department of Cultural Affairs and the New York City Economic Development Corporation held a workshop on August 13, 2007 where New York City's non profits received further information on the mechanics of Local Law 86, a brief overview of LEED standards and examples of Green projects at non-profit organizations. The Green Building Handbook developed in conjunction with the workshop includes all of this information, along with resources that support green building.