Q&A
Discussion on sustainable cooling approaches and balancing climate goals
1:27:49
·
170 sec
Council Member Restler and Assistant Commissioner Leone discuss the tension between keeping people safe in extreme heat and not exacerbating climate challenges, focusing on improvements in air conditioning devices and sustainable cooling approaches.
- Leone acknowledges the complexity of balancing safety and climate goals
- Current equipment on the shelf is not yet aligned with the city's climate goals
- Local Law 97 is driving action toward better equipment suitable for the city's building stock
- Leone suggests a strategic approach that allows for safety now and an evolving regimen of providing cooling over time
Lincoln Restler
1:27:49
And, I'd like to ask a couple questions, if I may, of assistant commissioner Leon.
1:27:55
Leoni?
1:27:55
How do I pronounce it?
1:27:56
Leoni.
1:27:57
Leoni.
1:27:57
Good.
1:27:58
Thank you.
1:27:58
Sorry, Leoni.
1:27:59
Miss assistant commissioner Leoni.
1:28:00
I appreciate you being with us.
1:28:01
So I'm I'm just interested in your insight in your role as the chief sustainability officer at HPD.
1:28:10
You know, one of the tensions in this bill, right, is that we desperately wanna keep people safe in extreme heat.
1:28:18
That's the kind of guiding focus.
1:28:20
We also don't want to exacerbate our climate challenges.
1:28:23
Right?
1:28:24
And so are you seeing improvements in, air conditioning devices that are less carbon intensive, cooling approaches that you think are more sustainable, and that are the kinds of things that you think we should be focusing on or incentivizing either in this legislation or just more broadly?
Jennifer Leone
1:28:49
That's an excellent question and not an easy one to answer.
Lincoln Restler
1:28:52
Fair.
Jennifer Leone
1:28:53
I think in your opening statement, you did talk about specifically efficiency standards and making sure all the pieces are in place for this kind of bill to work.
1:29:06
I think at best, right, an outcome aligns with all the climate goals of the city.
1:29:12
Right?
1:29:13
Low efficiency equipment that functions and is effective and efficient.
1:29:18
Right now, I think to your point, we're not there with the equipment that's on the shelf and ready to deploy today.
1:29:25
We also have some policy challenges around cost shifting and paying for utilities.
1:29:32
I think that's I think we all see that changing rapidly as a result of the city's ambitious climate goals.
1:29:39
Local law 97 is driving a lot of action toward better better equipment that's more suitable to excuse me, to our building stock that will make a transition easier over time.
1:29:53
And I think that's what I would say is we can see that if we can work together on a really strategic approach that allows for safety first now and an evolving regimen of providing cooling over time that we can all get there.
1:30:13
And we have to think about the equipment that we have now, the equipment we see coming, and and really put in place something that makes this transition in the market happen so that we can achieve the goals.
1:30:23
Market happen so that we
Lincoln Restler
1:30:25
can achieve the goals.
Jennifer Leone
1:30:25
I think if I may I'm sorry,
Pierina Sanchez
1:30:27
chair's privilege.
1:30:27
Council member Ressler, if you could turn it over to council member Nurse, when when you Go ahead.
1:30:32
I need to step out for 2 minutes.
1:30:34
Continue.
1:30:34
Oh, when I'm finished, you mean?
Lincoln Restler
1:30:39
Okay.
1:30:39
Great.
