NEW YORK — New York City is intensifying efforts to reduce construction-related emissions by studying the carbon footprint tied to the materials and processes used to build the city’s skyline.
A city-funded research initiative led by New York University in collaboration with Rutgers University is examining the “embodied carbon” generated throughout the construction lifecycle. The study evaluates emissions associated with manufacturing, transporting, installing and disposing of building materials such as steel, concrete and glass.
The project was commissioned by the NYC Mayor’s Office of Climate & Environmental Justice and is expected to help shape future building standards aimed at lowering emissions from the construction sector.
The effort comes as Mayor Zohran Mamdani advances climate-focused development policies and broader decarbonization goals across the city.
“By reducing embodied carbon in our construction materials, we’re lowering emissions, using resources more efficiently and bringing down costs,” Mamdani said. “This is about building a city that works for people today without compromising the future—a greener, more just New York for all.”
While many sustainability initiatives focus on reducing operational energy use in buildings, New York’s latest push targets emissions embedded within the construction process itself.
Researchers are analyzing every stage of building development, including cement production, steel fabrication, transportation logistics and on-site installation methods. Officials said the study is intended to establish a baseline measurement that can guide future emissions reductions.
“It doesn’t just mean using low-carbon concrete,” said Will DiMaggio of the NYC Mayor’s Office climate unit. “How can we optimize our design to use fewer materials—period.”
DiMaggio added that designing buildings with fewer materials could also help reduce construction costs over time.
The city’s initiative builds on earlier climate policies enacted under former Mayor Eric Adams, who signed an executive order directing city agencies to reduce embodied carbon in construction projects.
New York City has committed to cutting the construction industry’s carbon footprint in half by 2033.
According to New York City climate data cited in the report, construction activities account for approximately 23% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Cement manufacturing alone contributes roughly 8% of global carbon emissions.
Researchers noted that about 2 million metric tons of carbon dioxide were emitted in New York City during 2020 from construction equipment, industrial machinery and related operations.
“For the city to measure future emissions reduction, they need to measure that baseline,” said Semiha Ergan, an environmental engineering professor at NYU leading the research initiative.
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Industry groups said contractors are already experimenting with lower-carbon construction practices, including recycled materials and “warm mix asphalt,” which reduces production temperatures and greenhouse gas emissions.
“Anytime where you have to depend on a product that you’re not familiar with, there might be some hesitation to adopt it,” said Melinda Tomaino, senior director of environment and sustainability at the Associated General Contractors of America.
Tomaino added that adoption becomes easier when new materials or methods do not affect building performance.
As New York expands efforts to decarbonize buildings, officials and researchers say future policy changes could increasingly influence material selection, design strategies and construction methods throughout the city’s development sector.
Originally reported by Clara Hudson in WSJ.
