Local Government Policies​

 

Local governments have long led the way on climate action. The Bay Area’s cities and counties are national leaders, developing innovative and precedent-setting policies and strategies for reducing greenhouse gas emissions in their jurisdictions. In the round of Climate Action Plan updates since 2020, an increasing number of jurisdictions are including embodied carbon strategies.

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Municipal Project Specifications

Alameda County

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Alameda County General Services Agency and Arup developed Division 1 specifications to require low carbon specifications of key materials and considerations for deconstruction and reuse. Click below to download the editable templates.

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[Coming soon: Low Carbon specifications]

[Coming soon: Reuse specifications]

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Building Material Reuse Infrastructure

San Francisco's Building Resources Innovation Center

Building Materials Reuse Analysis (March 2022) 

 

San Francisco Environment Department commissioned an analysis of potential capacity and impacts of creating the Building Resources Innovation Center (BRIC), a physical space for the temporary storage and redistribution of salvaged/surplus commercial building products, novel circularity programs, and community services. 

Download the Report.

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Low Carbon Concrete Codes

Marin County

 

In 2019, the County of Marin adopted a code amendment setting limits on GWP or cement content for mixes poured on permitted projects in unincorporated Marin County.

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Visit the County of Marin page to learn more.

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Visit StopWaste.org for more background, templates, and case study projects.

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Climate Action Plan Measures

Below are examples of measure language from city or county climate action plans across the Bay Area.

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Albany

Approach: Reduce emissions embodied in goods and materials. 

 

3.2.5 Partner with regional entities to encourage carbon-smart building materials. This includes educating architects, designers, and contractors. This action would enable and promote carbon-sequestering building materials in new construction and renovations. Ultimately, this action could lead to requirements for the disclosure and/or limit the embodied carbon emissions of buildings through whole-building or material specific policies.

 

3.2.6 Adopt voluntary green building tiers. Adopting CALGreen voluntary tiers can promote efficient and sustainable development.

 

Dublin

Measure MM-2: Reduce the Embodied GHG Emissions Associated with Building Materials

The City of Dublin will require the use of low carbon concrete in new construction projects to reduce lifecycle GHG emissions and the embodied carbon associated with construction projects.

Measure MM-2 Actions 

1. Conduct outreach to the development community regarding low carbon concrete using the Bay Area Low Carbon Concrete Codes Project. 

2. Present a low carbon concrete ordinance to City Council based on the Marin County model ordinance with specifications for residential and non-residential development applications. 

3. Educate City staff, and the development community on the new reach code requirements. 

4. Keep current on new model ordinances that identify other building materials to target for additional embodied carbon reductions.

 

Marin County

CBE-C1: Low-Embodied Emission & Carbon Sequestering Building Materials 

Consider developing policies and programs that build on the success of the low carbon concrete ordinance, including: 1. Exploring similar policies to those developed for low carbon-concrete for steel, glass, and other high embodied emissions materials. This could include the development of whole-building lifecycle emission targets, which are increasingly feasible with the advancement of Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) software. Vancouver, B.C. has explored similar policies of setting “carbon caps” for common building types, similar to how the State has used modeled buildings to set limits on energy consumption. 2. Encourage the use of building materials that store carbon, such as wood, through agency partnerships and engagement campaigns. Review the County’s building code to ensure there are not barriers to new technologies such as Cross-Laminated Timber, which can replace traditional steel building frames and sequester carbon.

CBE-C2: Deconstruction of Buildings 

Deconstruction is the process of taking apart, rather than demolishing, buildings to salvage components and minimize landfill disposal. Deconstruction policies can vary based on common building types in a given community. The County will explore the development of a deconstruction ordinance. Similar policies adopted in Portland, Oregon focus on single-family residences built prior to 1940, which tend to have high quality materials such as old growth wood and decorative finishes. A deconstruction policy must be paired with economic development work to ensure that there are qualified contractors who can fulfill the requirements of an ordinance, and a market for the materials recovered. The County will participate in relevant regional working groups seeking to explore Bay Area-wide policies and programs for deconstruction, which may offer economies of scale. In addition, explore policies that outline new building standards with end of life in mind, and opportunities to promote adaptive reuse, which can decrease the development of new buildings that will be directed to the landfill at the end of their life. 

CBE-M1 Buy Clean Purchasing 

On October 15, 2017, California’s Governor signed Assembly Bill 262, known as the “Buy Clean California Act” to require EPDs for certain materials being specified for state building projects, meaning that suppliers’ emissions performance will be taken into account when an agency is contracting to buy steel, flat glass, and mineral wool insulation for infrastructure projects. Consider adopting mirrored policies for County of Marin purchasing. 

 

Livermore

Strategy W-2: Expand use of low-carbon and recycled building materials 

Embodied carbon, which can be defined as the GHGs emitted to construct a building, is a significant source of carbon emissions in the building and materials sector and comprises 11 percent of global GHG emissions. Embodied carbon emissions for buildings in Livermore are not included in the GHG inventory for this CAP, as the manufacturing of building materials takes place outside of Livermore’s boundaries. Nonetheless, the CAP includes actions to reduce embodied carbon emissions in construction. 

 

This strategy takes place at the local, regional, and statewide level, as construction practices and norms happen beyond the bounds of a single jurisdiction. As part of Livermore’s CAP actions, the City will explore standards for embodied carbon performance in new buildings, while ensuring that housing and rent costs would not be negatively impacted. The costs associated with moving towards low-carbon building materials includes outreach and engagement costs to the City, while new construction could see marginal costs increases of around 1 percent.

 

W-2.1 Raise awareness for low-carbon and recycled building materials 

Work with local, regional, and state partners to promote the availability and cost-effectiveness of low-carbon and/ or recycled construction materials.

 

W-2.2 Explore standards for new construction that limit embodied carbon emissions 

Consider implementing embodied carbon performance standards and material-efficient building practices, with exemptions for cost barriers as needed to prevent these changes from directly increasing housing or rent costs

 

Oakland

 

Buildings: B-4: Reduce Lifecycle Emissions from Building Materials 

By 2023, adopt a concrete code for new construction that limits embodied carbon emissions. In subsequent building code updates, implement improved embodied carbon performance standards including additional materials and material-efficient building practices, with exemptions for cost barriers as needed to prevent these changes from directly increasing housing or rent costs. Ensure requirements are at least as stringent as the State of California procurement standards in effect at the time of the building code adoption. Explore ways of supporting local market development for low-lifecycle-emission and carbon-storing biogenic building materials.

Material Consumption + Waste: MCW-6: Establish a Deconstruction Requirement

Establish a deconstruction requirement to reduce demolition waste from construction and renovation and facilitate material reuse. Regulate hauling and processing of construction and demolition debris to ensure that salvageable materials are identified and removed for reuse instead of being recycled or disposed to landfill. 

City Leadership: CL-1: Evaluate and Reduce Climate Impacts of City Expenditures and Operation

By 2022, develop a GHG Impact Analysis for incorporation into budget, capital, and work plans at the departmental level. By 2023, adopt the Good Food Purchasing Policy or similar climate-friendly food policy for all food purchased by the City for City business/events, as part of City contracts for events and activities, and at food service establishments operating on land under the jurisdiction of the City, to ensure that all such food has minimal carbon impacts and maximum health, equity, and local economic benefits. By 2024, track annual embodied GHG emissions related to City expenditures for construction, building maintenance, travel, and food. By 2025, establish maximum GHG performance thresholds for these and other appropriate City purchases

 

Pleasanton

 

S6. Embodied Carbon Reduction Plan 

The City will participate and support a regional Embodied Carbon Reduction Plan that uses a variety of approaches to reduce the total lifecycle carbon footprint of materials (i.e., that considers the carbon footprint of raw materials, manufacturing, transportation, use, and disposal of products). 

 

The regional Embodied Carbon Reduction Plan should consider: 

• Whole building lifecycle analysis for new construction and incentives for achieving reductions

• Participation in regional efforts to build local supply chains and economic opportunities

• Partnerships to promote low-carbon products

• Encouraging carbon-smart and recycled building materials

• A low-carbon concrete requirement 

• Education campaigns and resources

 

San Francisco

 

Responsible Production & Consumption Strategy 1: Achieve total carbon balance across the buildings and infrastructure sectors.  

Supporting Actions:

• RPC.1-1 Between 2024-2026, phase in policies to reduce embodied carbon more than 10% per project by addressing at least three product categories or building assembly types. 

• RPC.1-2 By 2025, develop a suite of incentives, policies, and/or guidelines for adaptive reuse of existing buildings, as well as the design and procurement of low-carbon structural materials for new construction. 

• RPC.1-3 By 2025, establish a maximum allowance for embodied carbon of buildings, to be adjusted at regular intervals. 

• RPC.1-4 By 2025, amend existing policies to require deconstruction of buildings and increase the source separation of specific materials. 

• RPC.1-5 By 2025, engage with designers, landlords, and lessees to develop guidelines for tenant improvement projects that reduce excess material purchases and support reuse distribution channels. 

• RPC.1-6 By 2025, create a policy framework to expand and cultivate regional building material reuse markets that support workforce development, small business enterprises, and entrepreneurial innovation. 

• RPC.1-7 By 2030, advance best practices for “Design for Disassembly” and “Buildings As Material Banks” by creating implementation resources in partnership with global cities, and pilot at least one municipal project to maximize the value of carbon already invested in buildings.

 

San Leandro

 

CC-3: Low-carbon building materials 

Work with local, regional, and State partners to expand the awareness of, availability, and cost effectiveness of low-carbon or carbon-free construction materials. 

This is a supportive policy that does not create its own GHG emission reductions. 

Strategy CC-3 actions:  

• Commit to developing a reach code for new construction that limits embodied carbon emissions. In subsequent building code updates, consider implementing improved embodied carbon performance standards including additional materials and material-efficient building practices, with exemptions for cost barriers as needed to prevent these changes from directly increasing housing or rent costs.  

• Partner with Building Trades Council and other trades affected by building decarbonization when planning strategies.  

• Promote rehabilitation and reuse of existing structures, where feasible.

Co-Benefits: Resource conservation