Decarbonizing New York: How USLT Helps Buildings Meet Local Laws

Imagine a New York City where buildings no longer contribute 75% of the city's carbon emissions. That's the future Fatou Jabbie is helping to create through her company, USLT Technology Consulting. In this enlightening conversation, Fatou reveals how her journey from computer engineering to sustainability entrepreneurship uniquely positioned her to tackle one of NYC's most pressing environmental challenges.

The heart of USLT's work lies at the intersection of policy, technology, and human relationships. Fatou expertly unpacks the often misunderstood dynamics between building owners and tenants when it comes to energy usage and regulatory compliance. Rather than viewing sustainability as a zero-sum game, she demonstrates how data-driven approaches can create win-win scenarios that benefit all parties while reducing carbon footprints. Whether working on LEED Gold certification for new government buildings or conducting comprehensive energy audits for existing structures, USLT bridges technical expertise with practical solutions.

What stands out most is Fatou's nuanced understanding that building decarbonization requires both immediate action and long-term strategy. "Sustainability is both a short-term game and a long-term game," she explains, emphasizing that meaningful carbon reductions and energy savings can only be guaranteed through consistent data analysis and patient implementation. For property owners navigating NYC's complex web of local laws or tenants seeking more sustainable operations, USLT offers a mission-driven partnership focused on creating healthier, smarter buildings across all five boroughs. Connect with Fatou through USLT's website or social media to join the movement toward a more sustainable New York City—one building at a time.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:04):
This is the Good Neighbor Podcast, the place
where local businesses andneighbors come together.
Here's your host, GarfieldBowen.

Speaker 2 (00:21):
Welcome to Good Neighbor Podcast Live.
Today I have the pleasure ofintroducing your good neighbor,
fatou Javi, with USLT Fatou, howare you doing today?

Speaker 3 (00:32):
I'm doing great, garfield, how are you?

Speaker 2 (00:35):
I'm doing well, doing well.
I'm excited to learn all aboutyou and your company.
Tell us about your business.

Speaker 3 (00:41):
Thank you for having me, and my business is USL
Technology Consulting.
We are focused on providing NewYork City local law compliance
across the five boroughs, andwhat that means is that 75% of

(01:01):
New York City's carbon emissionscome from our buildings.
This is commercial buildings,residential buildings, mixed-use
buildings across all sectors.
So our focus is to work withbuilding owners, government
agencies, to help New York Citydecarbonize, meaning move away
from fossil fuel so we can havea healthy, smart city.

(01:25):
And in doing so, we'recompletely also evolving New
York City's economy to move awayfrom, like I want to say, more
of a low carbon economy versusan economy that's focused on
business as usual.

Speaker 2 (01:51):
Wow, that's an awesome task.
How did you get into thisbusiness?

Speaker 3 (01:56):
Great question.
My background is in computerengineering and I've worked in
the private sector for over 15years and during that time I
mainly focused on data centernetwork design and engineering
and integration in the wirelessand telecommunications sector,

(02:20):
but also in the financial sector.
Now what that means is thatdata centers are buildings and
they consume a lot of energy andthey're operational 365 days a
year.
And all that data that we useon our mobile devices exchanging
information for example, rightnow, the streaming we're doing

(02:43):
currently there's a serversomewhere that's in a data
center that's using a lot ofenergy to be able to deliver
this to our audiences.
Having worked in thatenvironment while in the private
sector gave me confidence andthe expertise in the background
when I wanted to start myentrepreneurial journey to focus

(03:05):
on energy use and energyefficiency in data center
buildings.
So that's kind of how Iconnected my private sector
professional experience tostarting my own business.
And but on top of that, I wentto graduate school at Columbia
to get my master's insustainability management.
To graduate school at Columbiato get my master's in

(03:25):
sustainability management.
And during that period that'saround in New York City 2009,
during Mayor Bloomberg's officeterm in office, we had a suite
of local laws called the Greener, greater Buildings Plan, and
for over 20 years now, the cityhas been collecting data on all
of our buildings in terms of thedifferent fuel types that our

(03:48):
buildings use, like natural gas,electricity, fuel oil, steam.
So being able to know what'shappening from a policy
perspective, from a buildingsperspective, from an industry
basically the industry climatechanging allowed me to really

(04:09):
take a step back and start abusiness focused on this vision
and that business model.

Speaker 2 (04:19):
What are some myths and misconceptions?
I know there's the whole thingabout energy and productivity
versus productivity.
What are some of the myths andmisconceptions that you come
across?

Speaker 3 (04:31):
I mean wow.
I think that when it comes toour buildings, buildings are
inherently complicated.
Right, there's a lot of movingparts.
You have the building owner,and I'm going to speak more
towards commercial buildings ormixed use buildings.
You have the building owner,then you have the commercial
tenants that are leasing a spacefrom the owner, and the dynamic

(04:54):
of the relationship between thelandlord and the tenant is so
critical when it comes to energyuse and energy consumption and
compliance, right, the owner ofthe building is who needs to
comply with the local laws, butwhen it comes to using resources
, tenants tend to use a goodchunk of that energy and water

(05:15):
use, right?
So having landlords and tenantscome to the table and figure out
how to equitably align the costof using resources is something
that tend to be seen as azero-sum game, that you know
when the decisions are made,it's always going to favor the

(05:35):
landlord or it doesn't favor thetenant, and it's not that
simple, right, when we talkabout compliance, there's a lot
of layers that needs to beunpacked in terms of using data
to inform the decision ratherthan the traditional way we
looked at relationships betweenlandlord and tenant.
So, for example, with theservices that my company, uslt,

(05:59):
provides knowing these locallaws and who's responsible for
what, is super important.
So advising the landlord andthe tenant and bringing them
together is part of what we doto make sure that each knows the
value that they can get out ofit.
So we can kind of demystify allthese misconceptions when it
comes to compliance with NewYork City local laws.

(06:21):
Because lack of compliance,obviously there are penalties
that are tied to this.
And when those penalties getdoled out to a building owner,
who's going to be responsiblefor those payments, knowing that
the tenant also has some levelof responsibility there, given
the energy and water use theyneed for their business's

(06:43):
operations?

Speaker 2 (06:44):
So in essence, you help them simplify the process
by plugging them in, and youknow the compliance side of it.

Speaker 3 (06:51):
Exactly and just also looking at the engineering due
diligence that goes into theexisting conditions on how the
building operates, but also thetenant operates as well.

Speaker 2 (07:03):
So how would you define your clients and how are
you currently attracting them?

Speaker 3 (07:09):
We have government clients.
A lion's share of our projectsare currently focused on new
construction projects.
Myself I am a LEED AP, which isan acronym for Leadership in
Energy and Environmental Design,and with that accreditation I

(07:32):
work on new constructionprojects for buildings that need
to be certified either LEEDGold, silver or platinum.
Now most government contractsthat are being taxpayer funded
are required to be at minimumLEED Gold certified.

(07:55):
So with that type ofaccreditation and expertise and
experience that I have, my teamis contracted to get this
project a gold certification.
So we're working with architects, mechanical design engineers,
electrical design engineers andstructural design engineers so
you can start to see when it's anew construction, the design

(08:18):
team is who we work withdirectly to be able to influence
the lead requirements withinthe design, but then we also
move on to the constructionprocess of that.
So that's one type of projectwe do.
Another type of project we dois focus on existing buildings.
We're helping a building it's aschool in Queens to be local

(08:39):
law 87 and Local Law 97compliant, which requires
auditing the building.
Similarly, how tax accountantsaudit your taxes, we're doing an
energy audit or a water auditof the building right and then
be able to align those auditswith compliance requirements

(09:02):
that will be submitted to NewYork City Department of
Buildings.

Speaker 2 (09:09):
Okay, have you ever thought about doing your own
podcast?

Speaker 3 (09:14):
Yeah, absolutely.
I mean I think sometime downthe line perhaps.
But as an entrepreneur and abusiness owner, you only have so
many hours in the day andinstead of having our own
podcast, we get invited topodcasts like yours and
hopefully be still able toinform and share information in
a way that can add value to ourcommunity, to businesses in our

(09:38):
neighborhoods.
And yeah, sometime down theline perhaps we will have our
own own podcast, but for now I'mhappy just being invited so
that's true.

Speaker 2 (09:49):
When you're not so busy running your business, what
do you like to do fun?

Speaker 3 (09:56):
I'm a runner.
I like to go for a run everyother morning here and there.
I live in hastings and hudsonand I'm right next to the old
croton um aqueduct, which I meanit's 26 miles long, so you can
run as far as you want.

(10:16):
I also love to hike and um youknow, hiking, running outside
and spending time with myfriends and exploring the city
you get involved in any of themarathons.
No, not a marathon runner.
I typically want to clear myhead, and that alone is enough
for me.
It really helps me staygrounded.

Speaker 2 (10:36):
All right, we're about to run out of time, but I
want you to leave our listenerswith one thing, if you were to
sum it down, the one thing theyshould remember about USLT.

Speaker 3 (10:48):
One thing to remember about USLT is that we are
mission driven and our clients'goals and priorities is really
what drives what we do, and wetake pride in the quality of
work we do as well.
But also communicate to ourclients in a way that they

(11:11):
understand that sustainabilityand looking at decarbonizing a
building and electrifying abuilding is both a short-term
game and a long-term game, andthe only way that we can
guarantee carbon emissionreductions or energy savings and
reducing their utility costsmonth over month, year over year

(11:35):
, is by using data to supportthat.
And sometimes, you know, wetend to want to get projects
done and turn them around veryquickly.
The work we do realisticallydealing with buildings does not.
It requires that short-term andthat long-term strategy.
That's one thing I want them totake away, because that's where

(11:57):
the value is.

Speaker 2 (11:59):
Now, our listeners have one word on their mind
right now, and that's how?
How do they get moreinformation on the USLT?

Speaker 3 (12:09):
They can go to our website, wwwusltechnologycom.
I'm also on LinkedIn.
I think nowadays everyprofessional or business owner
may be on LinkedIn or Instagram.
Our Instagram page is also oneway they can contact us, or they
can contact me directly throughLinkedIn or Instagram.
Our Instagram page is also oneway they can contact us, or they
can contact me directly throughLinkedIn as well.

Speaker 2 (12:31):
Okay, for those that just like to push the buttons on
the phone, is there a numberyou'd like to share?

Speaker 3 (12:39):
I will share my direct phone, which is
425-442-9993.
And I'll be happy to get on acall with them.

Speaker 2 (12:52):
Listen for two.
It's been a pleasure having youin the show.
We wish you and your businessthe very best moving forward.

Speaker 3 (12:57):
Well, thank you so much, Garfield, for having me.
I very much appreciate thisinvitation and hope the audience
enjoyed our conversationappreciate this invitation and
hope the audience enjoyed ourconversation.

Speaker 1 (13:14):
Thank you for listening to the Good Neighbor
Podcast.
To nominate your favorite localbusinesses to be featured on
the show, go to GNPLivecom.
That's GNPLivecom, or call877-934-3302.