RESOURCES
POLICY PRECEDENTS
Local policy implementation should be informed by an analysis of each city’s specific conditions including its building stock, energy use and emissions profiles, future climate conditions, and utility fuel mix and infrastructure, and should apply a climate equity lens after an evaluation of city and community goals for equity and resilience. However, the following policy precedents can provide inspiration and guidance on achieving successful policy implementation:
POLICY FACTORS:
- Existing and anticipated building stock composition (use types, sizes)
- Building energy consumption and emissions profiles
- Utility grid fuel mix and emissions profile
- Future climate conditions
- Community equity and resilience goals
All 19 /Big Buildings 4 /Date Certain 4 /Embodied Carbon 5 /Embodied: Performance Path 4 /Embodied: Prescriptive Path 2 /Energy Efficiency 2 /Energy Efficiency 7 /Existing Building 3 /New Construction 9 /Point of Lease 0 /Point of Sale 2 /Renewable Energy 4 /Renewable Energy 3 /Small Buildings 3 /Uncategorized 0 /Zero On-Site Emissions 3
San Francisco Better Roofs
San Francisco is the first U.S. city to mandate solar and living roofs on most new construction.
November 28, 2018/by arch2030San Francisco 100% Renewable Electricity for Large Commercial
All commercial buildings over 50,000 square feet will be powered with renewable electricity by 2030.
April 29, 2019/by arch2030Portland Deconstruction of Buildings Law
This addition to city building code requires that affected single-family residential homes be deconstructed rather than demolished.
October 28, 2020/by arch2030NYC Building GHG Emissions Limits (Local Law 97)
This bill establishes greenhouse gas emissions limits for existing buildings and retro-commissioning requirements for certain buildings over 25,000 square feet.
November 26, 2018/by arch2030Norway’s Statsbygg Requirements
A mandatory carbon cap requires all Norwegian government properties to demonstrate a 30% carbon reduction (including embodied and operational carbon as well as biogenic carbon and emissions from transport, land use and land change) against a baseline of the current Norwegian average.
October 28, 2020/by arch2030Marin County Low-Carbon Concrete Code
An amendment to the Marin County Building Code specifies low-carbon concrete for all public and private construction involving concrete in Marin County.
November 30, 2018/by arch2030LA Construction and Demolition Debris Recycling and Reuse Policy
Los Angeles County's Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) must give preference to recyclable and recycled products in the selection of construction materials during design and construction.
October 28, 2020/by arch2030Germany Renewable Energy Heat Act
The Renewable Energy Heat Act requires the use of renewable energy for space and hot water heating in new buildings.
August 8, 2019/by arch2030Clean Energy D.C. Omnibus Act
100% of Washington, D.C.'s electricity from come from renewable power by 2032, with building efficiency requirements for new and existing buildings.
November 28, 2018/by arch2030City of Vancouver Rezoning Policy for Sustainable Large Developments
Large developments must meet requirements for ongoing waste reduction, increased diversion of products and materials from the waste stream, sustainable site design, green mobility, water management, affordable housing, and more.
October 28, 2020/by arch2030City of Vancouver Green Buildings Policy for Rezoning
All buildings seeking rezoning permits must meet Near Zero Emissions Buildings or Low Emissions Green Building requirements.
October 1, 2020/by arch2030California Solar for New Residential
On-site solar requirements for new residential construction are the first in the nation and will go into effect in 2020.
February 1, 2019/by arch2030Burlington Time of Sale Energy Efficiency Ordinance
Mandated cost-effective minimum energy efficiency standards enforced when rental buildings are sold.
April 29, 2019/by arch2030Boulder SmartRegs
SmartRegs requires all licensed rental housing in the City of Boulder to meet a basic energy efficiency standard as a component of the rental license approval process.
October 8, 2019/by arch2030Boston Building Energy Reporting and Disclosure Ordinance
Medium and large buildings are required to report annual energy and water use and complete a major energy or emissions action every 5 years.
January 9, 2020/by arch2030Berkeley Prohibition of Natural Gas Infrastructure in New Buildings
This citywide ordinance bans natural gas infrastructure in new construction.
August 8, 2019/by arch2030Berkeley CA RECO
Replaced in 2015, RECO originally required homeowners to complete basic water and energy upgrades prior to sale.
November 28, 2018/by arch2030AB 262: Buy Clean California Act
Embodied carbon policy that requires facility-specific EPDs and will establish a maximum acceptable GWP for each category of material.
November 30, 2018/by arch2030(Proposed) The Low Embodied Carbon Concrete Leadership Act (LECCLA)
LECCLA will incentivize low carbon concrete ingredients through a discount rate on bids for state and state-funded construction projects.
February 1, 2021/by arch2030All 6 /Big Buildings 0 /Date Certain 0 /Embodied Carbon 0 /Embodied: Performance Path 0 /Embodied: Prescriptive Path 0 /Energy Efficiency 2 /Energy Efficiency 0 /Existing Building 0 /New Construction 0 /Point of Lease 0 /Point of Sale 0 /Renewable Energy 4 /Renewable Energy 0 /Small Buildings 0 /Uncategorized 0 /Zero On-Site Emissions 3
City of Vancouver Green Buildings Policy for Rezoning
All buildings seeking rezoning permits must meet Near Zero Emissions Buildings or Low Emissions Green Building requirements.
October 1, 2020/by arch2030Berkeley Prohibition of Natural Gas Infrastructure in New Buildings
This citywide ordinance bans natural gas infrastructure in new construction.
August 8, 2019/by arch2030Germany Renewable Energy Heat Act
The Renewable Energy Heat Act requires the use of renewable energy for space and hot water heating in new buildings.
August 8, 2019/by arch2030California Solar for New Residential
On-site solar requirements for new residential construction are the first in the nation and will go into effect in 2020.
February 1, 2019/by arch2030San Francisco Better Roofs
San Francisco is the first U.S. city to mandate solar and living roofs on most new construction.
November 28, 2018/by arch2030Clean Energy D.C. Omnibus Act
100% of Washington, D.C.'s electricity from come from renewable power by 2032, with building efficiency requirements for new and existing buildings.
November 28, 2018/by arch2030All 9 /Big Buildings 4 /Date Certain 4 /Embodied Carbon 0 /Embodied: Performance Path 0 /Embodied: Prescriptive Path 0 /Energy Efficiency 0 /Energy Efficiency 7 /Existing Building 0 /New Construction 0 /Point of Lease 0 /Point of Sale 2 /Renewable Energy 0 /Renewable Energy 3 /Small Buildings 3 /Uncategorized 0 /Zero On-Site Emissions 0
Portland Deconstruction of Buildings Law
This addition to city building code requires that affected single-family residential homes be deconstructed rather than demolished.
October 28, 2020/by arch2030City of Vancouver Green Buildings Policy for Rezoning
All buildings seeking rezoning permits must meet Near Zero Emissions Buildings or Low Emissions Green Building requirements.
October 1, 2020/by arch2030Boston Building Energy Reporting and Disclosure Ordinance
Medium and large buildings are required to report annual energy and water use and complete a major energy or emissions action every 5 years.
January 9, 2020/by arch2030Boulder SmartRegs
SmartRegs requires all licensed rental housing in the City of Boulder to meet a basic energy efficiency standard as a component of the rental license approval process.
October 8, 2019/by arch2030Burlington Time of Sale Energy Efficiency Ordinance
Mandated cost-effective minimum energy efficiency standards enforced when rental buildings are sold.
April 29, 2019/by arch2030San Francisco 100% Renewable Electricity for Large Commercial
All commercial buildings over 50,000 square feet will be powered with renewable electricity by 2030.
April 29, 2019/by arch2030Berkeley CA RECO
Replaced in 2015, RECO originally required homeowners to complete basic water and energy upgrades prior to sale.
November 28, 2018/by arch2030Clean Energy D.C. Omnibus Act
100% of Washington, D.C.'s electricity from come from renewable power by 2032, with building efficiency requirements for new and existing buildings.
November 28, 2018/by arch2030NYC Building GHG Emissions Limits (Local Law 97)
This bill establishes greenhouse gas emissions limits for existing buildings and retro-commissioning requirements for certain buildings over 25,000 square feet.
November 26, 2018/by arch2030All 5 /Big Buildings 0 /Date Certain 0 /Embodied Carbon 0 /Embodied: Performance Path 4 /Embodied: Prescriptive Path 2 /Energy Efficiency 0 /Energy Efficiency 0 /Existing Building 0 /New Construction 0 /Point of Lease 0 /Point of Sale 0 /Renewable Energy 0 /Renewable Energy 0 /Small Buildings 0 /Uncategorized 0 /Zero On-Site Emissions 0
Norway’s Statsbygg Requirements
A mandatory carbon cap requires all Norwegian government properties to demonstrate a 30% carbon reduction (including embodied and operational carbon as well as biogenic carbon and emissions from transport, land use and land change) against a baseline of the current Norwegian average.
October 28, 2020/by arch2030City of Vancouver Rezoning Policy for Sustainable Large Developments
Large developments must meet requirements for ongoing waste reduction, increased diversion of products and materials from the waste stream, sustainable site design, green mobility, water management, affordable housing, and more.
October 28, 2020/by arch2030City of Vancouver Green Buildings Policy for Rezoning
All buildings seeking rezoning permits must meet Near Zero Emissions Buildings or Low Emissions Green Building requirements.
October 1, 2020/by arch2030Marin County Low-Carbon Concrete Code
An amendment to the Marin County Building Code specifies low-carbon concrete for all public and private construction involving concrete in Marin County.
November 30, 2018/by arch2030AB 262: Buy Clean California Act
Embodied carbon policy that requires facility-specific EPDs and will establish a maximum acceptable GWP for each category of material.
November 30, 2018/by arch2030Achieving Zero
Reaching a 50-65% carbon emissions reduction in the built environment by 2030, and zero emissions by 2040, is critical if we are to successfully manage climate change. Achieving Zero is a framework and set of tools to help city and sub-national governments (state, provincial, and regional) meet this target.
Contact
Architecture 2030
+1 (206) 438-3456
info@achieving-zero.org