NEW YORK CITY-On the heels of President Obama's state of the union address—in which he issued a call-to-action to cut energy waste from homes and businesses in half over the next 20 years—a new study points up the major role NYC's CRE industry can have in this effort. The country's largest city can feasibly reduce its carbon emissions 90 percent by 2050, according to the study, released Thursday by the Urban Green Council, the New York Chapter of the US Green Building Council.

Issued in the wake of Superstorm Sandy and other unprecedented weather events that re-focused attention on building preparedness, the timely study, called 90 By 50, finds that by updating and streamlining the city's buildings and infrastructure, New York City can meet that goal and even exceed it. That's because the changes would reduce the city's greenhouse gas emissions to the low levels identified by scientists as necessary to contain climate change.

The study's director, Richard Leigh, says in a statement, “New York City has been in the forefront of U.S. cities pursuing a sustainable future. But climate science tells us we must nearly eliminate greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 to contain climate change, and 90 by 50 sketches out one version of the road we must travel.”