While there are not necessarily new trends in the year ahead, the bar is rising on sustainability-related issues already influencing the building industry. New and more stringent regulations and codes, and the need to stay ahead of anticipated regulations to reduce risks of future non-compliance, mean new expectations for architects, engineers, and building material manufacturers.
Embodied carbon
Reducing embodied carbon in building materials is gaining importance, along with the well-established focus on energy efficiency and operational carbon reduction in buildings. This will require architects and engineers to consider the global warming potential of the materials they select for projects, which, in turn, will create a demand for building material manufacturers to conduct lifecycle assessments for their products and to publish Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs). Contractors will also need to evaluate embodied carbon as a new criterion for products during procurement. At least three American states and several municipalities have adopted “Buy Clean” laws, setting embodied carbon limits for certain construction materials, and nine other states joined them in the 2023 launch of the Federal-State Buy Clean Partnership. More states will likely follow.
Through the Buy Clean Task Force, the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA), the
U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), and other federal agencies, collectively the largest purchasers in the world, are implementing buy clean requirements, coupled with domestic purchasing preferences, for federally funded projects. The task force will identify the highest embodied carbon materials (e.g. cement, steel, flat glass) and prioritize procurement of lower emission alternatives; support material transparency reporting (with EPDs) by providing technical assistance and incentives to manufacturers committed to reducing emissions; and create use cases to test performance through procurement pilots.
While buy clean mandates apply to publicly funded projects, the State of California recently adopted new provisions in the building code, to take effect this year, that will require embodied carbon reduction in private development. This code builds on requirements adopted in 2022 that mandate whole building lifecycle assessments and EPDs from product manufacturers. The new code applies to commercial buildings larger than 9,290 m2 (100,000 sf) and schools larger than 4,645 m2 (50,000 sf).
Voluntary initiatives will also drive demand for products with lower carbon emissions, especially metals used in construction and transportation. For example, the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) is creating a Sustainable Steel Buyers Platform to generate collective demand from committed purchasers of low-emissions steel with the goal of stimulating the development of a commercial-scale low emissions steel facility in North America.
Energy and carbon performance
The International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) continues to raise the bar on minimum energy efficiency for commercial and residential construction. Increasingly stringent energy codes are more comprehensive with fewer opportunities for trade-offs, which will require project teams to address overall energy performance with commissioning of the building enclosure and systems and air tightness testing of enclosures, along with familiar minimum efficiency requirements for building components. Some jurisdictions are also considering zero energy and zero carbon codes, which will require project teams to demonstrate how buildings have been designed to achieve zero energy performance, or may even be outcome-based, with penalties if actual energy performance falls short of
code requirements.
Beyond energy codes, a growing number of cities and states are adopting Building Performance Standards (BPS). A BPS, like New York City’s Local Law 97, requires building owners to periodically demonstrate their building’s performance falls below an established greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions or energy use threshold, or face fines. While BPS applies only to existing buildings, new buildings will eventually have to comply once they are operational.
Additionally, new GHG emissions disclosure requirements will soon affect some building owners and building material manufacturers. For example, California’s Climate Corporate Data Accountability Act will require all U.S. companies with more than $1 billion in annual revenue doing business in that state to disclose Scope 1, 2, and 3 GHG emissions starting in 2026.
Climate resilience
The mounting cost and increasing frequency and severity of natural hazards due to climate change has insurance companies pulling out of certain markets due to the increased risk, and investors seeking information on financial risks. This is spurring new regulations requiring disclosure of climate-related financial risks. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is expected to release new rules this year that will require public companies to disclose GHG emissions and climate-related financial risk, and last year the State of California adopted Senate Bill 261, which will require companies with more than $500 million in revenue doing business in California to disclose their financial risks associated with climate change and natural hazards biennially.
In support of more resilient buildings that will reduce financial risks and protect health and life safety, new standards and testing will help project teams select resilient building materials and systems. This includes standards for high wind, tornados, flooding, and wildfires, and design for wildfire smoke.
Along with the new regulations and standards, the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) is developing new versions of the LEED green building rating systems for both new construction and existing buildings. LEED Version 5 is expected to include a prerequisite requiring a property resilience assessment for all projects seeking certification.
This year and beyond will see new and elevating standards and regulations for sustainable built environments. Building professionals at all stages of the building lifecycle will play a role in meeting these new expectations.
Alan Scott is director of sustainability with Intertek Building Science Solutions in Portland, Ore. To learn more, follow him on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/in/alanscottfaia/.