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BBP Adams begins push to build a greener Brooklyn

April 17, 2014 Heather Chin

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In an effort to make Brooklyn a leader in energy efficiency, Borough President Eric Adams is hoping to LEED by example: turning Brooklyn Borough Hall into an energy-efficient icon.

If this marble monument, over 150 years old, can be on the cutting-edge of green standards, then every building from Brighton Beach to Bushwick can be as well, said Adams.

Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification from the U.S. Green Building Council would, according to Adams, be a step towards educating homeowners and business owners alike on common-sense ways to build with the environment in mind, advancing our public health and long-term sustainability.

The borough presidents plan also includes the creation of a green energy agenda for Brooklyn. That agenda, he stated, will be shaped by a Renewable and Sustainable Energy Task Force (ReSET) made up of representatives of government agencies, policy think tanks and other leaders in the environmental sustainability movement.

ReSET met for the first time on Monday, April 14.

This is a great starting place to move forward from a place of isolation to a place of collaboration, said Adams. We will focus on an overall theme: how can we make renewable and sustainable energy a part of our everyday life in Brooklyn.

Preliminary ideas discussed included the development of energy literacy opportunities and incentives to engage community-based organizations with renewable energy programs.