The City of Los Angeles committed to making all new or substantially rehabilitated buildings owned by the city to be carbon free.
Los Angeles is also the first local government to adopt the Buy Clean California Act, a state law requiring carbon emissions reductions from construction materials, including steel, flat glass and insulation beginning in 2021 for use on public buildings such as fire stations, civic centers, and libraries. To date, the city has 26 all-electric buildings in development totaling 2 million sf.
The Buy Clean California Act does not pertain to cement, the production of which is a major carbon emitter. Lowering the carbon footprint of that material may be addressed, however, after the Carbon Neutral Cities Alliance publishes a framework for cities to support lower-emitting concrete production.
Mayor Eric Garcetti also committed the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power to improve access for low-income, affordable housing, and multifamily properties to its clean energy programs.
Related Stories
Codes and Standards | Jan 18, 2017
How green leases benefit owners and tenants
Agreements to spur efficiency upgrades are slowly gaining popularity.
Codes and Standards | Jan 17, 2017
Intl. Code Council looks into code changes for cross-laminated timber structures
Most codes limit CLT structures’ height.
Codes and Standards | Jan 16, 2017
Building codes for existing buildings evaluated in new white paper
The paper examines implementation, enforcement challenges, and changes needed in new code editions.
Codes and Standards | Jan 13, 2017
New BIM guide for owners released
National Institute of Building Sciences releases a manual for developing standard set of BIM documents.
Codes and Standards | Jan 11, 2017
OSHA prompts more proactive approach to construction site safety
Remote operated camera systems are being used to mitigate risk in real time.
Codes and Standards | Jan 10, 2017
Plunging solar power costs making PVs more compelling for owners, developers
Technical and manufacturing advances are driving down prices.
Codes and Standards | Jan 9, 2017
Boston’s plans for new development at odds with flood projections
One plan calls for building in areas predicted to be flooded during high tides as sea levels rise.
Codes and Standards | Jan 9, 2017
New LEED for Cities, LEED for Communities pilot certifications unveiled
Requires tracking of performance data and progress toward goals.
Codes and Standards | Jan 9, 2017
China claims top ranking outside of U.S. for total LEED-certified space
Canada, India, Brazil, and Korea round out top 5.
Codes and Standards | Jan 6, 2017
OSHA prompts more proactive approach to construction site safety
Remote operated camera systems are being used to mitigate risk in real time.