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Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Climate Change

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Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Climate Change Brooklyn Developmental Center Mixed-Use Project EIS Empire State Development Chapter 16: GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS AND CLIMATE CHANGE 16.1 Introduction As explained in the CEQR Technical Manual, increased greenhouse gas (“GHG”) emissions contribute to climate change, the effects of which are predicted to include rising sea levels, increases in temperature, and changes in precipitation levels. While climate change occurs at a global level, effects can be experienced at the local level. For example, in New York City, increases in summertime electricity demand to support air conditioner usage may lead to power outages. Changes in sea level could directly affect coastal areas and lead to increased potential for flooding in some areas, which could cause damage to infrastructure not designed to withstand saltwater exposure. Increased precipitation could affect the function of sewer systems, and also lead to flooding of streets, while periods of drought could affect the municipal water supply. GHGs include carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and fluorinated gases, which contribute to atmospheric absorption of infrared radiation and cause heat to be retained in the atmosphere. In New York City, the energy used by buildings in general, and residential buildings in particular (such as the residential buildings that would be constructed as part of the Proposed Project) result in the largest percentage-by-sector of total GHG emissions. Per the guidance of the CEQR Technical Manual, a GHG consistency assessment is warranted for any project that would result in 350,000 square feet (“sf”) or more of development. As described in Chapter 1, “Project Description,” the Proposed Project would include approximately 1.1 million sf of residential and commercial space. Therefore, a GHG consistency assessment is warranted for the Proposed Project. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Climate Change Chapter 16 16-1 Brooklyn Developmental Center Mixed-Use Project EIS Empire State Development 16.2 Principal Conclusions GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS The Proposed Project is estimated to generate approximately 18,1951 total metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalents (“CO2e”) emissions on an annual basis resulting from building operations and approximately 12,157 metric tons of CO2e emissions from mobile sources. As a point of comparison, this estimated annual total of approximately 30,352 metric tons of CO2e emissions represents approximately 0.06 percent of the 2016 annual total for all of New York City, which is estimated to have been approximately 52.0 million metric tons. The Proposed Project would be consistent with the goals of encouraging construction of resource- and energy-efficient buildings and encouraging development that is reliant upon public transit. The Proposed Project would partially rely on renewable energy sources, expected to include on-site solar and/or geothermal loop to serve each building group. The residential development, building construction, and building operations would be Enterprise Green Communities Certified or achieve a higher green building standard. In addition, some critical building infrastructure, including boiler rooms, would be located at the rooftop, making it more efficient in operations (compared to cellar locations). Finally, the Proposed Project would be consistent with current City policy aimed at reducing GHG emissions by 2050 through a variety of City initiatives. In particular, the Proposed Project would support development that relies on sustainable modes of transportation. Specifically, the Proposed Project would provide dedicated on-site residential parking spaces of an amount equal to approximately 15 percent of the proposed dwelling units not set aside for senior or supportive housing, compared to the provision of on-site parking for between 80 percent and 100 percent of dwelling units as would typically be required of R7-A zoning (the equivalent of which would be effectuated through the General Project Plan. Rather, the Proposed Project would take advantage of an existing network of public transit that serves the Project Site. For example, although the Project Site does not have direct access to New York City subway service, the Project Site is served directly by four Metropolitan Transportation Authority (“MTA”) bus routes (which also provide linkage to subways), as well as bicycle paths and pedestrian walkways. Therefore, the Proposed Project would be consistent with applicable policy associated with GHG emissions and climate change. 1 This calculation is based on the methodology provided within the CEQR Technical Manual; therefore, it does not take into consideration the use of renewable energy, as is currently planned with the Proposed Project, or the Proposed Project’s compliance with Local Law 97, which would result in fewer carbon emissions. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Climate Change Chapter 16 16-2 Brooklyn Developmental Center Mixed-Use Project EIS Empire State Development RESILIENCE TO CLIMATE CHANGE The Proposed Project is designed to account for future sea level rise conditions as provided in 6 NYCRR Part 490. As such, it would be consistent with the New York City Department of City Planning’s (“NYCDCP”) Waterfront Revitalization Program (“WRP”), the New York State Department of State’s (“NYSDOS”) Coastal Management Program, and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s (“NYSDEC”) guidance issued pursuant to the Community Risk and Resiliency Act. The Proposed Project would be designed to the 500-Year Flood Event in 2080 and would receive adequate flood protection over the course of its lifespan according to projected sea level rise scenarios provided in 6 NYCRR Part 490, and would comply with NYSDEC’s Flood Risk Management Guidance. 16.3 Greenhouse Gas Emissions POLLUTANTS OF CONCERN There are six principal greenhouse gases that enter the atmosphere due to human activities. These include: Carbon Dioxide (“CO2”) CO2 is the most prevalent of the principle GHGs. CO2 is emitted primarily from the burning of fossil fuels (oil, natural gas, coal) by power plants and motor vehicles, the burning of solid waste, trees, and wood products, and as a result of chemical reactions such as the manufacture of cement. Methane (“CH4”) CH4 is emitted during the production and transport of various energy sources, including coal, natural gas, and oil. Methane also comes from agricultural practices, natural decomposition of peat marshes, and from landfills as waste decays. Nitrous Oxide (“N2O”) N2O is emitted during various agricultural and manufacturing activities, as well as during combustion of fossil fuels and solid waste. Fluorinated Gases Hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, and sulfur hexafluoride are synthetic gases that are emitted from a variety of industrial processes. These include refrigeration, aluminum smelting, semiconductor manufacturing, and various electrical systems. These gases are emitted in smaller quantities than the Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Climate Change Chapter 16 16-3 Brooklyn Developmental Center Mixed-Use Project EIS Empire State Development others, as shown in Figure 16-1, “Primary GHG Emissions as a Percentage of the Total.” However, they have a high Global Warming Potential (“GWP”) (i.e., the potential to trap heat in the atmosphere). Figure 16-1: Primary GHG Emissions as a Percentage of the Total Source: USEPA, 2018 (https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/overview-greenhouse-gases) No significant direct or indirect sources of fluorinated gases, which typically are emitted through industrial processes, electricity transmission, and use of substitutes for ozone-depleting products, are expected to be associated with the Proposed Project. Therefore, the GHG assessment for the Proposed Project focuses on three GHGs: CO2, N2O, and CH4. Because GHGs differ in their ability to trap heat, as per guidelines outlined in the CEQR Technical Manual, all calculations of emissions for the Proposed Project will be presented in units of metric tons of CO2e. This represents a common measure that allows gases such as CO2 and methane with different global warming potentials to be added together and compared. In order to convert gases into units of metric tons of CO2e, a list of GWPs for the primary greenhouse gases is presented in Table 16-1, “Global Warming Potential for Primary Greenhouse Gases (CO2 Equivalents – CO2e).” Based on the table, Methane has Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Climate Change Chapter 16 16-4 Brooklyn Developmental Center Mixed-Use Project EIS Empire State Development approximately twenty-one times the global warming potential as carbon dioxide, with sulfur hexafluoride having almost approximately twenty-four thousand times the potential. Table 16-1: Global Warming Potential for Primary Greenhouse Gases (CO2 Equivalents – CO2e) Greenhouse Gas Global Warming Potential CO2 - Carbon Dioxide 1 CH4 - Methane 21 N2O - Nitrous Oxide 310 HFCs - Hydrofluorocarbons 140-11,700* PFCs - Perfluorocarbons 6,500-9,200* SF6 - Sulfur Hexafluoride 23,900 Notes: Subsequent to the Second Assessment Report (“SAR”), which was published in 1995, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (“IPCC”) has published updated GWP values in its Third Assessment Report (“TAR”) and Fourth Assessment Report (“AR4”) that reflect new information on atmospheric lifetimes of greenhouse gases and an improved calculation of the radiative forcing of CO2. However, GWP values from the SAR are still used by international convention to maintain consistency in GHG reporting, including by the United States
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