Meet Your Mayor
Answer the questions below to see which candidates for NYC mayor agree with you most
Welcome to Meet Your Mayor, which shows you how the candidates’ stands fit with your take on the issues that matter most to New Yorkers.
If you’re new to Meet Your Mayor, learn more about how it works and what to expect now through the June 22 primary.
Answer the following four questions on climate change issues to see which candidates for mayor most closely match the future you want to see for New York City.
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NYC’s Climate Mobilization Act requires owners of large buildings to ensure they meet tough energy efficiency standards tied to the letter ratings posted at their entrance. Some landlords, condos and co-ops complain that they will be hard pressed to meet the mark.
Question 1 of 4
Adams pledged to "provide tax credits for innovative waste management and energy-efficient design."
from Twitter, April 22, 2021
"The city has to offer owners some financial models, some proofs of how this can work."
from THE CITY Interview, May 19, 2021
"Not only am I going to accelerate implementation of Local Law 97, get the tools and resources like PACE to every building that needs it. But we’re also going to lead with our public buildings. We’re going to make sure that public housing is a model around the world for sustainable, green housing."
from City & State NY, April 23, 2021
Garcia called for "incentivizing electrification and carbon savings--not slapping building owners with fines."
from Twitter, Dec. 29, 2020
"A lot of these landlords are not making millions of dollars off of these premises. For the smaller and midsize ones, we have to support them financially."
from THE CITY Interview, May 20, 2021
Yang "will use the City’s own buildings as demonstration projects for how landlords and building owners can meet the emissions reductions requirements and will advocate for state and federal tax credits to offset costs."
from Campaign website
No candidates selected this answer
"The problem with the law currently is that it's an unfunded government mandate. It's very difficult to be a property owner in the city as it is and to all of a sudden impose additional fines without providing significant support is a problem."
from THE CITY Interview, May 19, 2021
“The owners, so far in the lockdown, when it comes to rent many of them have received no rent for either commercial space or residential space.... So they're desperately going to need help with this.”
Isaac Wright Jr.
Superstorm Sandy devastated low-lying coastal neighborhoods, which remain at risk of rising seas and storm surge. Many proposed interventions to protect these areas are incomplete or not even started.
Question 2 of 4
Chang said "city will likely have to buy" properties in flood-prone areas.
from THE CITY Interview, May 19, 2021
"I support flood buyouts and resettlement strategies for high-risk areas in addition to other adaptation and resilience efforts."
from NY1, April 13, 2021
"One long-term solution to our climate crisis is for governments around the world to buy back the most vulnerable land along our coastlines."
from THE CITY Interview, May 19, 2021
Stringer called for expanding home buyout programs and replacing urban highways with parks.
from NY1
Wiley called for "transition of City-owned social infrastructure to become climate-ready, by investing in infrastructure to allow public schools, libraries, hospitals and Community Care Centers to act as climate-ready community hubs."
"I will utilize New York City’s capital budget to advance infrastructure that will strengthen our shoreline with hard and soft infrastructure."
"We will expand bluebelt stormwater management strategies to other flood-prone parts of the City, including Southeast Queens, and restore wetlands to serve as a natural buffer to protect our waterfront communities."
"My major infrastructure plan is to accelerate resilient and sustainable infrastructure throughout New York City with a focus on Sandy-impacted neighborhoods like Coney Island, Hunts Point, Lower Manhattan, Red Hook, and the Rockaways."
Morales said she will develop natural and other protective measures such as sea walls or urban forestry through a "a fully resourced and supported partnership with CUNY."
"The same way how they want to build bigger buildings and higher buildings, I am going to build bigger forests, bigger jungles, more trees, more gardens, nature's farm and parks."
from THE CITY Interview, May 10, 2021
"We have to be proactive. We have to invest in infrastructure."
from THE CITY Interview, May 20, 2021
"As mayor, I will invest in the building of new flood protection projects along the city's waterfront, as well as supporting the rapid completion of existing efforts like the construction of dunes in the Far Rockaways."
No candidates selected this answer
Isaac Wright Jr.
NYC’s current mayor vowed to ban natural-gas hookups in new construction by at least 2030 as a measure to reduce reliance on greenhouse gas-emitting fuel sources.
Question 3 of 4
Asked whether NYC should ban all new fossil fuel infrastructure, Adams said "Yes."
from NY1, April 21, 2021
Donovan says he wants to see "all public and private buildings in New York City run on pollution-free electricity, phasing out the use of fossil fuels, including gas and oil, in all buildings."
from Campaing website
"We should be investing in clean, renewable energy sources and the infrastructure to support them now."
from Twitter, Feb. 27, 2020
"Ban all new fossil fuel infrastructure, including new pipelines or the redevelopment of power plants."
from Campaing website
"If all of a sudden we were to tell developers that they can't have gas hookups, then the demand for units in those buildings may well go down, which would therefore decrease property values."
from THE CITY Interview, May 19, 2021
"I support an outright ban once we’ve established a faster pace at which we are moving towards renewable energy and that will be my priority."
from NY1, April 13, 2021
Ray McGuire, Isaac Wright Jr., Joycelyn Taylor
The city Department of Sanitation will soon resume separated collection of food scraps and other organic waste after a pandemic suspension — but only in limited areas that previously received the service and only for addresses that request it.
Question 4 of 4
“You start with the educational process. Same way they started separating bottles and cans. Originally people say it's not going to work, you know, bottles, cans and paper. And now people are used to it. But in some neighborhoods, they don't do a very good job.... So you have to really raise the standards in all neighborhoods.”
"Let’s start composting for real. They’ve gutted the composting plan. We only have 1% composting in a city that it should be scaled up to lead the nation."
from City & State NY, April 23, 2021
"It should remain optional. And then we need to start doing some effective communication and education around it."
from THE CITY Interview, May 20, 2021
"You have to roll it out in certain parts where you have the resources."
from First Democratic mayoral debate, May 13, 2021
"My goal as mayor will be to ensure that every New Yorker participates in the organic waste renewal program."
from City & State NY, April 23, 2021
"This is clearly an area where we have an opportunity to lower costs for the city."
from THE CITY Interview, May 19, 2021
"We’ve got to lead the country in recycling. And we’re going to do that by bringing back organics recycling and making sure it works everywhere."
from City & State NY, April 23, 2021
"We do need to make we compost our waste. It starts with education but it also should become mandatory."
from THE CITY Interview, May 19, 2021
"We have to bring back the composting program and ensure that it is at everybody’s doorstep, as well as in every big building. It’s going to have to be mandatory."
from City & State NY, April 23, 2021
Asked whether she'd commit to making the organic waste program citywide, Morales answered yes.
from First Democratic mayoral debate, May 13, 2021
"By reducing the amount of waste we generate, expanding composting programs, and decarbonizing our waste handling systems, we can improve our environment and our economy, resulting in a healthier place to live and work."
from Campaing website
No candidates selected this answer
Isaac Wright Jr.
Reporting by Ann Choi and Mónica Cordero, development by Will Welch, editing by Alyssa Katz. Candidate images from Ben Fractenberg/THE CITY, Alejandro Durán/THE CITY, Shutterstock and campaign websites.