New York City's Department of Buildings reported that 95% of properties required to file under Local Law 97 submitted compliance reports in 2025, with 95% of those meeting emissions limits or completing required upgrades. Calendar year 2024 was the first enforcement period for the law, which applies to most buildings over 25,000 square feet. Of 29,031 buildings required to report, 1,911 missed the deadline, and the city has started issuing fines of up to $268 per ton of excess carbon dioxide equivalent emissions. Only 470 properties exceeded their 2024 emissions limits, with most of those overshooting by less than 10%. Most compliant buildings used efficiency measures like lighting upgrades, envelope improvements, and heat pumps. Few owners used alternative compliance tools: 79 bought offsets, 31 used solar credits, and six claimed beneficial electrification credits. The $1.7 million collected from offsets funds decarbonization projects in other buildings. Emissions limits tighten by 40% in 2030, meaning deeper retrofits will be necessary for many owners.
