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I pleased to report on my recent trip to Washington, DC for the BOMA International Decarbonization Symposium. I was joined by three of BOMA New York committee members Christopher Cayten, Partner at CodeGreen Solutions, Desmond Greene, Managing Principle at WB Engineering and Herschel Weiss, Director of Operations at Ashokan Water Services. We spent two-days on the Hill with BOMA members from the United States, Canada and Costa Rica.
The symposium was an excellent opportunity for the collective group to share and learn from global strategies in order to achieve the shared goal of net-zero. While many are aware, it is important to remind everyone that 40% of all carbon emissions come from buildings. This fact resonates with BOMA members as the responsible parties for so much of the impact our collective decarbonization efforts will make world-wide. It was a privilege to be addressed by so many thought leaders. Distinguished speakers included Kate Lindsay of the Senate Committee on Finance, Natalie Huber, Chief Engineer of GSA, as well as BOMA International’s Pierce Crosland, Director of Federal Affairs and Don Davis, Vice President of Advocacy.
The symposium represented a deep dive on sustainability throughout the design process. The message was clear – this is no longer a luxury, it’s a necessity. When solving for decarbonization, the conversation detailed that this is a shared responsibility; owners, managers, and tenants alike. One takeaway is that green leases are imperative to support the decarbonization drive and to involve tenants in the process.
After the symposium, the ambassadors from many BOMA associations met with their respective elected officials in the Senate and House. The BOMA New York contingent met with the administrations of Senator Schumer, Senator Gillibrand, Representative Malliotakis, and Representative Goldman. The following are the primary advocacy topics we reviewed:
1. Directly asked for co-sponsorship of the Airborne Act. This bill allows owners of commercial properties a tax credit for the cost of an indoor air quality assessment and an air filter or qualified HVAC upgrade.
2. Asked to support an increase of the current cap of SBA Financing for Decarbonization efforts – aka Green Financing – from $5.5M to $10M.
3. We requested that FEMA’s BRIC be renewed. Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) supports states and local communities as they undertake hazard mitigation projects, reducing the risks they face from disasters and natural hazards. As a coastal City, this is particularly important to New York.
4. We requested support of Representative Ritchie Torres’s (NY-15) Bill for federal legislation that will mandate new consumer safety standards for lithium ion batteries, “Setting Consumer Standards for Lithium-Ion Batteries Act”.
Advocacy on behalf of the commercial real estate industry is imperative as we lead the fight against climate change and carbon emissions from within the built environment. BOMA New York will continue to collaborate with elected officials, both locally and federally, to achieve mutual success for our properties, tenants, communities and the great city of New York.
By Lori Raphael
Executive Director
BOMA New York
