“We shouldn’t be cutting funding for police departments,” the president said. “I proposed increasing funding.”
The Biden administration also announced Friday a joint effort with two states and more than 30 cities nationwide to develop standards to make buildings more energy-efficient and climate-friendly. The effort includes Colorado and Washington state and cities such as New York, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles and Philadelphia.
The announcement builds on an Energy Department plan to upgrade 1 million homes and makes progress toward Biden’s goal to retrofit 4 million buildings and 2 million homes during his first term, the White House said.
Improving energy efficiency in multi-family buildings raises indoor air quality, eliminates drafts and protects residents from extreme heat, delivering health benefits and lower health care costs, the White House said. For businesses, high-performing buildings are likely to attract higher occupancy rates.
“As a coastal city that’s vulnerable to rising seas and extreme heat, Boston must be a national leader in driving a just transition to carbon neutrality,” said Boston Mayor Michelle Wu. The city’s building emissions reduction and disclosure ordinance “sets the standard for securing major emissions reductions from large buildings, with specific benchmarks on the path to becoming a net-zero city and clear mechanisms to ensure that environmental justice communities experience the benefits of net-zero buildings,” Wu said.
Major building trade groups and unions have volunteered to work with cities and states to train workers to retrofit buildings to meet stricter performance standards, the White House said, adding that unions recognize “that these policies stimulate economic growth and good-paying union jobs.”
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