Green Economy

Currently, more than 133,000 New Yorkers and businesses in the local green economy contribute more than $24 billion to the city's GDP.

Guided by the City’s Green Economy Action Plan, NYCEDC is building on this momentum and growing green economy industries through initiatives that include infrastructure investments, programs, and policies to deploy renewable energy technologies and accelerate climate innovation. We develop physical infrastructure and implement workforce development, and business growth programs to expand meaningful economic opportunities for New Yorkers, helping to build an inclusive, prosperous, and globally competitive green economy.

The Green Economy in NYC

The Green Economy Action Plan defines New York City’s green economy as the ecosystem of activities that have emerged since the turn of the century that directly and intentionally advance the City’s climate goals. Spanning eight sectors and 21 subsectors, NYC’s green economy encompasses a diverse ecosystem of workers, businesses, and entities across the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. To advance economic growth and economic justice, NYCEDC is advancing the following initiatives.

NYCEDC Projects

Below is an overview of some of the key Green Economy initiatives led by NYCEDC.

• BATWorks climate innovation hub will offer pioneering green economy companies the equipment, facilities, piloting infrastructure, office space, and business growth services they need to rapidly grow and commercialize climate technologies. BATWorks will also house a 30K-SF workforce facility that will train New Yorkers for high-quality green jobs to unlock innovation and generate shared prosperity. Learn more about upcoming BATWorks events at the BATWorks Temp Space and check out updates on programs like Pilots at BAT.
• Mass Timber Studio supports active mass timber development projects in the early phases of project planning and design in New York City. Project focus areas include navigating regulatory frameworks, innovative project delivery, technical feasibility, sustainability and resiliency, and community and equity.
• Circular Construction initiatives such as Circular Design & Construction Guidelines, and year-long pilot of the Circular Construction Reuse Hub at MADE Bush Terminal in Sunset Park help reduce waste and embodied carbon in NYC’s built environment and achieve the city’s decarbonization efforts.
• We Source NYC supports local small- and medium-sized industrial and construction firms to transition and grow their business in the green economy by providing business development services, organizing industry events, and brokering partnerships and connections to potential contracting opportunities.
• Green Economy Advisory Council consists of environmental justice groups, leading community organizations, investors, and industry leaders who will work together to advance a just transition toward a clean energy future and achieve New York City’s ambitious climate goals.
• Gotham Foundry is a new materials innovation hub operated by a consortium between Columbia University, CUNY’s Advanced Science Research Center (ASRC), SUNY’s Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT), and Genspace. The hub will support the commercialization of the next generation of sustainable materials and make NYC the epicenter of materials innovation. Learn more about NYCEDC’s vision for growing sustainable bioeconomy in NYC.
• Waterfront Pathways Program helps increase opportunities for minority-owned, women-owned, and disadvantaged business enterprises (M/W/DBEs) in the offshore wind and waterfront industries.
• ConstructNYC connects M/W/DBEs with exclusive opportunities to work on NYCEDC projects through contracts of up to $3 million. The program includes Green Training on an annual basis—a 39-hour educational module offered to active participants in ConstructNYC focused on sustainable construction management and buildings.
• The Blue Highways program activates the city’s waterways for local and regional movement of goods—improving quality of life for New Yorkers by reducing air pollution and congestion on our roadways, adding resiliency to the city’s supply chain, and tapping into our roots as a port city.
• South Brooklyn Marine Terminal (SBMT) is being developed into a world-class offshore wind port facility. The terminal will be utilized for staging and assembly, operations, maintenance, and as an interconnection point to support the development offshore wind projects and general maritime logistics.
• Offshore wind workforce training programs are offered by CUNY Kingsborough Community College KBCC) and funded by NYCEDC. The training at CUNY KBCC provides certification for relevant offshore wind occupations including offshore wind welding training and maritime pathway program with Seafarers International Union (SIU).

The Harbor Climate Collaborative

In addition to driving many key green economy initiatives, NYCEDC is part of the Harbor Climate Collaborative, which is a joint initiative between three mission-aligned public entities with sites along the New York Harbor connected by NYC Ferry—the Trust for Governors Island (TGI), New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) and Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation (BNYDC)—to make NYC the global capital of climate innovation.