New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio has declared war on “glass and steel skyscrapers” as part of a 30-year-vision to make the city more sustainable and resilient to climate change.

The move potentially strikes at the heart of the city’s reputation as the world’s foremost home of tall buildings – if not the original home of the skyscraper.

In a speech marking Earth Day this week, de Blasio pledged legislation that would require significant emissions limits before developers could obtain consent for a big skyscraper – and big fines for landlords who do not reduce emissions according to city guidelines.