Archinect - News

COP29: New Intergovernmental Council for Buildings and Climate to speed up decarbonization efforts in the building sector

2024-11-25T10:04:00-05:00

Last week at the COP29 summit in Azerbaijan, the UNEP-hosted Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction (GlobalABC) announced the formation of the Intergovernmental Council for Buildings and Climate (ICBC) in order to administer goals set forth by the Chaillot Declaration from earlier this year.

This is aimed at helping fasten efforts at decarbonization and regulation in the building sector, which account for 37% of global emissions and is also growing in terms of sheer building footprint worldwide. New International definitions for low carbon cement and concrete were also launched at COP29 by the Global Cement and Concrete Association (GCCA).

Can the 'first carbon-positive hotel in the U.S.' claims of the Studio Gang-designed Populus be validated?

2024-09-30T10:28:00-04:00

Populus goes one step further in its boast of being 'carbon positive', not just offsetting the hotel’s carbon footprint but actually taking out far more carbon than it puts in – a promise few businesses would dare to make, for both financial and publicity reasons. As a term, however, 'carbon positive' can be linguistically confusing [...] and with no clear definition of what 'carbon positive' means, there are no metrics by which to determine its validity.

The project, first announced in February 2021, has since garnered skepticism amidst its developer Urban Villages' claims of being a first-of-its-kind carbon-positive American design in the typology. The true sustainability of the firm’s 2009 Aqua Tower in Chicago has been scrutinized in the past by online commenters.

The 265-room Populus, with its blinking 'lids' fenestration, opens for the first time on October 15th.

Phius introduces new REVIVE 2024 standards aimed at carbon-free retrofitting

2024-08-29T16:51:00-04:00

In the interest of improving building performance standards industry-wide, Phius (the group that developed the first Passive House international standards in 2015), has announced a new standard for retrofits called REVIVE 2024.

According to Phius, the four components of the new REVIVE 2024 standard are:

Resilience-focused planning: Emphasizes resilience as a critical safety feature, particularly in adapting to more extreme weather events.
Parametric analysis software: Introduces new tools for conducting parametric studies to identify optimal solution packages that meet resilience standards while minimizing life cycle costs.
Carbon emission goals: Aims for zero operational carbon emissions and considers embodied carbon, aligning with broader sustainability objectives.
Enhanced quality assurance: Implements a robust quality assurance process to ensure all retrofit measures are executed as designed.

The new guidance is designed to make large-scale retrofits of existing buildings both more ...

EPA presents 'buy clean' label program for green construction materials

2024-08-13T20:31:00-04:00

The Environmental Protection Agency has published details of a new label program aimed at increasing the amount and quality of more sustainable U.S.-made construction materials in the marketplace. It supports the agency’s new $160 million grant initiative to spearhead new Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs). The labels will add a formal definition of what constitutes “clean” construction materials in support also of the Biden Administration’s Federal Buy Clean Initiative, which was first formed in February of 2022.

Specifically, the EPA says the program will "prioritize steel, glass, asphalt, and concrete, as there are significant opportunities to reduce climate pollution from these materials, and they represent the vast majority of construction materials and products that government agencies purchase with federal funds."

An associated list of supporting documents, including EPD development guidelines, is available here.

AI has massive potential to aid decarbonization in the building sector, LBNL paper claims

2024-08-09T11:45:00-04:00

AI's capacity to initiate energy use reductions and decarbonization of the building sector was documented recently by researchers at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. A new study of medium-sized office buildings in the United States revealed the potential for an 8% emissions reduction by 2050. An up to 20% reduction of annual on-site energy costs can also be achieved through widespread augmentation combined with other emerging technologies such as robotics.

Utility Dive, which first reported on the paper's publication, summarized its findings further: "Adopting AI in [one] scenario can help reduce energy consumption and CO2 emissions by roughly 19% in 2050, compared with the policy scenario without AI."

This comes on the heels of the General Service Administration's announcement of $9.6 million in new grant funding to test AI-augmented products and other emerging building technologies as part of its Green Proving Ground program.

German researchers discover carbon sequestering concrete additive made from cyanobacteria

2024-07-29T19:37:00-04:00

Researchers from Germany's Fraunhofer Institute have discovered a new bioconcrete solution made using cyanobacteria (formerly known as blue-green algae) that sequesters carbon through a process of photosynthesis. Their work for the “BioCarboBeton” project examined the potential of stromatolites to be used as an additive in traditional concrete mixtures, finding success after mimicking their natural binding processes by using a new technological method.

The project, which aims to scale up production for commercial uses, also found potential applications in insulation material, brick, formwork filling, and even mortar.

Take a look also at similar SOM and Drexel University-led material research for concrete and concrete alternatives that we published in the past year.

Architects may soon get easier access to low-carbon construction materials, following $160M EPA grant initiative

2024-07-19T16:04:00-04:00

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has announced a new round of grants worth nearly $160 million to support the clean manufacturing of domestically produced construction materials.

The funds are being distributed to 38 entities, including the University of Massachusetts Amherst, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the University of Texas at Austin, and nine other institutions of higher learning. Holcim’s U.S. operation, the American Wood Council, the Hemp Building Institute, and the International Living Future Institute are also included on the list of grantees, among others. The grants range up to $10 million in total.

The grants are meant to support the Biden Administration’s Federal Buy Clean Initiative, whose task force issued first recommendations for low-carbon construction materials in September 2022. They will be used by each entity in order to develop Environmental Product Declarations (or EPDs), a data-driven consumer label that helps architects make decisions o...

TenBerke and Ballinger design Yale's new quantum science center as a series of interconnected pavilions

2024-07-18T16:37:00-04:00

TenBerke, in collaboration with Ballinger, has revealed designs for a new center for quantum science, engineering, and materials initiatives at Yale University. Called the Upper Science Hill Development (USHD), the 611,000-square-foot complex will be one of Yale’s largest and most complex building projects ever undertaken.

Located in the Science Hill precinct, the complex will add a publicly accessible series of landscape spaces to foster pedestrian and cyclist circulation on the campus.

The structure is designed to fit the topography of its urban and natural surroundings. As detailed by the architects, vibration control is one of the primary design drivers for quantum science facilities. Therefore, USHD’s sloping site, which is close to bedrock, was chosen for its strong vibration stability.

Image: TenBerke

The complex is conceived as a series of interconnected pavilions that move upwards. The building houses a network of overlapping hubs, organized by research initiatives. Its faça...

Grimshaw launches new building decarbonization platform called Minoro

2024-07-15T12:18:00-04:00

UK mainstay Grimshaw has announced the launch of a new online platform that will help accelerate the decarbonization of buildings. It follows a two-year development phase that relied on the support of 20 other industry organizations, including the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, RIBA, Architecture 2030, and the World Green Building Council.

Minoro is a free resource that provides links and access to more than 1,000 "policies, guidance and methodologies" related to decarbonization. The firm says this centralization enables design teams and other stakeholders to set targets and develop clear, informed actions across every stage of the building's life cycle.

Related Feature on Archinect: The U.S. Just Defined a Zero Emissions Building: Is It Enough?

Paul Toyne, the Sustainability Lead at Grimshaw, promised that it "brings, for the first time, all the key information to help tackle carbon in our buildings together in one place, but will also, importantly, bring team...

MAD Architects completes the ZGC International Innovation Center in Beijing

2024-06-18T20:17:00-04:00

MAD Architects has announced the completion of the ZGC International Innovation Center in Beijing. Spanning a total floor area of approximately 699,654 square feet, the structure was designed to serve as the permanent venue for the annual Zhongguancun Forum (ZGC Forum).

Photo: Zhu Yumeng

The forum is an international conference centered around innovation and technology. It is held annually in the Zhongguancun area of Beijing’s Haidian District, which is a major tech hub that hosts numerous high-tech companies, startups, and research institutions.

Photo: CreatAR Images

According to the architects, the Center, which takes on the shape of a clover, was designed to foster a deep connection between humanity, the city, and the environment.

Photo: Arch Exist

It blends into its surroundings through an accessible, approximately 182,986-square-foot green roof park, consisting of trees, gardens, walkways, and architectural features, that extends the nearby gardens and hills. The roof, characteri...

'Turning skyscrapers into batteries': SOM unveils energy storage prototypes partnership

2024-05-31T12:17:00-04:00

Skidmore, Owings, and Merrill has announced a new partnership with the Swiss energy storage company Energy Vault Holdings that will produce a series of prototype designs for deployable structures and vertical energy storage units up to 1,000 meters (3,280 feet).

Led by SOM Partners Adam Semel and Scott Duncan in collaboration with Burj Khalifa’s structural engineer Bill Baker, the initiative will be the first such technology to integrate gravity-based energy storage technology within the superstructure of tall buildings, enabling a carbon payback within accelerated 3–4 year timeframes.

SOM says: “The 10-year agreement is expected to result in multi-GWh of long duration Energy Vault GESS deployments to contribute to SADC region’s energy storage needs estimated to be 25 GW/125 GWh by 2035.”

Paris Olympics Athlete's Village to cool without AC during summer games

2024-05-03T17:30:00-04:00

To combat the intense summer heat in France, a geothermal energy system will cool the athlete apartments in the Seine-Saint-Denis suburb. This technology utilizes natural resources and is expected to reduce carbon impact by 45 percent compared to traditional air conditioning systems. The system will maintain a temperature below 79 degrees Fahrenheit during the night, even in the event of a heatwave, according to Laurent Michaud, the director of the Olympic and Paralympic Villages.

The planned alternative system will distribute cold water from underground to cool through the floors of the apartments, which will later become home to more than 6,000 permanent residents after the more than 15,000 Olympic and Paralympics athletes vacate in September. The buildings all have green roofs and will reportedly be powered completely by renewable energy in line with Paris' 2050 principles. Their construction achieved a 30% reduction in its carbon footprint compared to other modern projects.

Other countries, meanwhile, have promised to bring their own portable systems as a backup as experts have forecasted another unusually hot summer for the continent.

Federal 2007 ban on fossil fuels in government-owned buildings finally kicks in

2024-04-28T08:00:00-04:00

Fossil fuels will be banned from new and remodeled federal buildings under a rule finalized by the Department of Energy this week. The rule stems from the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA). Section 433 of that law says new federal buildings and those undergoing major renovations have to phase out "fossil fuel-generated energy consumption" by 2030. But that provision never went into effect because the Energy Department failed to finalize regulations, until now.

All buildings (and vehicles) owned by the U.S. Government are currently under mandate to run on renewable energy by 2050. The EISA mandate was not fully effected until now because the DoE never finalized its regulations, NPR reported a year ago.

Now, the enactment will save an estimated 2 million metric tons of carbon emissions and another 16,000 tons of methane emissions within three decades. That's equal to 4.92 billion kWh of electricity (enough to power a city the size of San Diego for a year) according to standard conversions.

Henning Larsen debuts Open Detail, a digital biomaterials resource for architects

2024-03-21T18:34:00-04:00

Henning Larsen has unveiled a new tool for designers that allows them access to a database of biogenic materials examples taken from around the world.

The firm debuted its new Open Detail resource at the AEC Hackathon in Copenhagen. Together with collaborators Copenhagen School of Design and Technology (KEA), Ramboll, Speckle, and Chevrant, the entry took home first place for the 'Best Mashup Project' at the Hackathon.

Now, their aim is to "foster a shift towards low-carbon architecture" by making such "tangible" biogenic design solutions more easily accessible to the public and practitioners as an open-source repository and knowledge-sharing platform.

The searchable Open Detail will allow users to contribute and download material details in either 2D or 3D format once actualized. Henning Larsen says this is "only the beginning" for Open Detail, adding that the project's off...

Biden-Harris administration defines future of zero emissions buildings

2024-02-09T11:41:00-05:00

In a landmark initiative, the Biden-Harris Administration has released the draft National Definition for a Zero Emissions Building, setting a transformative standard for the construction sector. This comprehensive definition targets all new buildings not owned by the federal government, stipulating that they must achieve high energy efficiency (in the 75th percentile or above), eliminate on-site emissions, and be powered by clean energy sources.

This move is part of a broader effort to mitigate climate change impacts by ensuring that the future of construction aligns with environmental sustainability goals. The definition is poised to serve as a critical framework for both new constructions and existing buildings, aiming for a measurable reduction in operating emissions across the board.

Previously on Archinect: AEC firms sign on to Biden Administration’s definition of zero-emissions buildings

The American Institute of Architects (AIA) has expressed strong support for this initiative...

The Pentagon will install solar panel array as part of $55 million DOD initiative

2024-02-03T08:00:00-05:00

The Pentagon has announced it will be installing a solar panel array on its roof in a historic first that’s part of a new $55 million Department of Defense clean energy initiative at military installations in the United States and Germany.

The DOD has been active in attempting to mitigate the large carbon footprint caused by the U.S. military with similar conservation strategies for several years. The money for the new solar panels is being sourced from a larger Department of Energy program that will spend $104 million in total on 31 projects affecting ten other federal agencies. The DOD says this is necessary to bolster its energy resilience and defense operational capabilities while also improving the quality of life for service members living and working at bases full-time.

"We have a moral obligation to the people that defend our nation, to their famili...

British AEC groups urge government action on embodied carbon regulations

2024-01-31T19:21:00-05:00

A group of 11 AEC industry groups in the United Kingdom, including the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), Chartered Institute of Building, and UK Green Building Council, have joined together in urging the government toward taking action on restricting embodied carbon emissions in the built environment ahead of an important national election that’s expected for November.

Their call endorses an amalgam of existing policy pushes while espousing lawmakers to include at least a portion of its findings into their respective manifestos with benchmarks for specific mandates and enforcements set for the end of this year, 2026, and 2028, respectively.

RIBA President Muyiwa Oki said: “Our message is clear — embodied carbon regulation is critical to reaching net zero. As built environment professionals, we understand our duty to reduce emissions and have been leading the charge. We now need urgent action from the next government to deliver a greener future that we deserve.”

Related ...

AEC firms sign on to Biden Administration’s definition of zero-emissions buildings

2024-01-19T12:53:00-05:00

An effort by the Biden Administration to establish a new national definition of zero-emissions buildings is gaining traction after leaders representing a group of 69 different AEC firms working in the U.S. added their support in a letter that was circulated earlier this week.

Prominent architecture firms, including SOM, NBBJ, Payette, Lake|Flato, Curtis + Ginsberg, DIALOG, FXCollaborative, Handel, and EskewDumezRipple, were among the architecture firms whose principals signed on to the pledge. The signature drive was initiated by Maine-based studio OPAL in coordination with the Building Green Sustainability Leader Peer Networks.

Under the proposed new standards, a “net zero emissions building” would obtain “high” (e.g., the 75th percentile) energy efficiency ratings, be free of any on-site emissions, and be powered purely by clean energy sources. Existing buildings will require an ENERGY STAR score of 75 or higher or a measured whole building energy use intensity (or EUI) of at lea...

Better green materials are still needed to trigger a revolution in the building sector, experts say

2023-12-14T13:56:00-05:00

Repeated calls for the decarbonization of architecture are sometimes met with criticisms as to their lack of substance, and in some cases, practicality or overall feasibility, Canada's National Observer tells us.

The only mycelium binders on the market are, for example, unsuitable to certain weather conditions, according to Yale Center for Ecosystems and Architecture’s Mae-ling Lokko. Other products like composite wood materials can contain formaldehyde, which puts a damper on the new heights mass timber designs are reaching in Europe and North America. The current limitations of bio-concrete, hemp, and algae materials are also well-known.

To enact a truly revolutionary turn, both additional investments into developing new alternative products and a better understanding of a building’s end-of-life recyclability are needed, Lokko and Naomi Keena of McGill University's School of Architecture told the paper.

Canada and its vast reserves of agricultural waste derived from applicable c...

COP28 deal agreed amid controversy over ‘phasing out’ of fossil fuels

2023-12-14T11:44:00-05:00

A climate deal has been struck by global leaders at the COP28 UN climate summit in Dubai following days of negotiations. The agreement calls for all countries to move away from using fossil fuels, though stops short of phasing them out. The final text, signed by 200 countries, recognizes a “need for deep, rapid, and sustained reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.”

The pact calls on countries to “transition away” from fossil fuels for energy systems but not for other sectors such as plastics, transport, or agriculture. At the beginning of the conference, the hosting UAE president had proposed a deal to “phase out” fossil fuels entirely; language explicitly called for by a coalition of over 100 countries. However, an initial draft of the deal removed the reference to “phasing out” fossil fuels, as did the final agreement, leading one delegate representing small island states to claim the final text contained a “litany of loopholes.”

Among the commitments in the deal are a tripling o...

EU member states agree to major building emissions cuts at COP28

2023-12-12T18:21:00-05:00

If approved in its current form, the deal struck on Thursday night will also force member states to put solar panels on more buildings, starting with new public buildings and offices and expanding to include new homes by 2030. [...] It is a compromise on the European Commission’s original proposals to renovate the leakiest homes, which member states had fought fiercely.

The EU’s pledge mandates that all new buildings will have zero emissions from fossil fuels in that timeframe, with heating systems derived from fossil fuels phased out by 2040. The expansion of heat pump subsidies will be a decisive factor, along with the mandatory installation of solar panels on everything except heritage architecture, churches, and agricultural buildings by the decade’s end. Also at the conference, six other member states joined the U.S., Canada, and UK in pledging their commitments to the UNEP Buildings Breakthrough challenge that will further reduce emissions by 2030. Signatories will also have until 2035 to cut emissions in residential structures by at least 20%.

Still, the Climate Action Network’s Eva Brardinelli, told the Guardian: “The final agreement on the directive missed a significant opportunity to lift millions out of energy poverty and cut our dependence on fossil fuels.”

The changes are likely to be formally adopted via the European Parliament in th...

Washington State effectively bans fossil-fueled appliances in new construction

2023-11-30T13:39:00-05:00

It will soon become nearly impossible to install fossil-fueled appliances to heat new homes and businesses in Washington. [...] The codes will require new homes and buildings to meet the same total energy performance as those built with electric heat pumps while allowing builders flexibility to choose appliances. Basically, if builders choose gas appliances, they will need to make up the efficiency losses elsewhere in the construction.

The state’s building code update puts them in league with California, Maryland, and major cities New York, Los Angeles, and Boston to have adopted similar policies.

The new amendments offer a “watered-down” alternative to a proposed electric heat pump mandate that was abandoned in the wake of a federal ruling against Berkeley, California’s natural gas ban from 2019.

The state’s building and construction industry is one of many being targeted by lawmakers in an effort to eliminate all greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

British building firms urge a halt to 'regressive' Tory environmental policy delays

2023-10-10T17:24:00-04:00

Several leading design and construction firms in the UK have signed onto a new appeal urging Conservative Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to halt his program of delayed implementations of key environmental building regulations in the interest of protecting a net-zero carbon emissions future in the country.

The Guardian first shared news of the letter, which called these delays “simply reckless,” just days after issuing a damming analysis of the benefits reaped by some builders as the ambitions of the climate movement have been vastly forestalled.

“We are disappointed at your narrative that delaying climate action would reduce costs to households. The longer we delay and the more we see stop-start piecemeal policy making, the harder and more expensive the task becomes,” a portion of the text reads.

SOM, Perkins&Will, and WilkinsonEyre were amongst the 114 signatories, joining AECOM, Buro Happold, and Arup on a docket that was formally organized by the UK Green Building Council. Along with...

Boston’s new Winthrop Center is now officially the largest Passive House office building in the world

2023-10-06T17:58:00-04:00

The new Winthrop Center in Boston by Handel Architects has just been certified by the Passive House Institute (PHI) as the largest Passive House office design in the world, according to an announcement made Friday by its developer Millennium Partners.

Inaugurated in the spring after a six-year concept and construction phase, the 691-foot mixed-use tower includes 812,000 square feet of Class A office space and another 510,000-square-foot segment with 317 luxury residences within its 52-story design.

The office component of the Center, which earned the PHI designation, incorporates between 30 and 35% more fresh air than a typical commercial design. Millennium Partners shares: "A typical Class A building in Boston’s existing stock uses 150% more energy and existing LEED Platinum buildings in Boston use 60% more energy than Winthrop Center’s office space."

Image courtesy of Millennium Partners.

“With Winthrop Center, we wanted to think beyond the status quo, and we were ready to employ ...

Large increase in all-electric and net-zero energy projects among AIA 2030 Commitment signatories, report says

2023-09-29T11:43:00-04:00

All-electric building projects have increased by more than 130% since 2020, according to new data from the American Institute of Architects. The figure is one of several findings from the latest AIA By The Numbers report which provides a detailed analysis of the energy performance of architecture and design firm signatories to the AIA 2030 Commitment.

428 companies reported data as part of the survey, with 23,276 projects reported from 107 countries. In addition, 168 new firms signed the 2030 Commitment in 2022, bringing the total number of signatories to over 1,200. By contrast, the community held 170 signatories and 56 reporting firms in 2010.

Related on Archinect: AIA 2030 signatories making progress on commitment to reduce energy use. Image credit: Mike Schwartz

In the latest outline, firms reported 707 all-electric buildings last year, totaling 80.1 million ground square feet, representing a 134% increase on projects registered in 2020. 346 net-zero energy projects were reported...

New York to introduce ‘first-in-the-nation’ mandate for concrete emissions

2023-09-26T12:21:00-04:00

New York State has announced the adoption of a ‘Buy Clean Concrete’ mandate for state agencies, described by Governor Hochul’s office as a “first-in-the-nation” commitment to environmental sustainability. The plan contains mandatory rules for establishing emissions limits on concrete used in state-funded public building and transportation projects.

Starting from January 1, 2025, Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) must be submitted for all concrete mixes used in qualifying state construction projects and must demonstrate that they achieve an environmental impact below the limits set by the state. The state hopes such EPDs will “provide transparency and a more robust accounting of a concrete mix’s greenhouse gas emissions and enable state agencies and other stakeholders to make more informed choices in reducing emissions.”

The measure will apply to state agency contracts exceeding $1 million that involve the use of more than 50 cubic yards of concrete. Exceptions are provided f...

Further action on decarbonization in the construction sector is needed, urges UN/Yale study

2023-09-15T17:21:00-04:00

A new report driven by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and Yale University's newly-formed Yale Center for Ecosystems + Architecture (Yale CEA) has recommended drastic reductions in the industry’s use of certain construction materials as it faces the environmental headwinds of sector-wide change.

While heeding a "back-to-the-future revolution" in methods and products/technologies used for building, the authors say the worldwide growth of urbanization has necessitated an overabundance of new buildings constructed using an unacceptable amount of concrete and other harmful materials. The findings of the report suggest the efficacy of reusing existing buildings at a larger scale while at the same time concentrating more resources toward the production of adequate alternatives in addition to adopting a "circular economy" and policies that help to curb the industry's 37% share of global emissions.

Where the report recommends a three-pronged solution toward reducing embodied concrete e...

20% of landscape architects expect to see greenhouse gas emissions budgets in future projects, ASLA survey finds

2023-08-22T17:08:00-04:00

The American Institute of Landscape Architects has published the results of a members' survey on the role of landscape architecture products in aiding decarbonization and biodiversity in the built environment. Insights were garnered from 454 landscape architects, designers, and educators out of the ASLA’s member base of approximately 15,000.

A significant 55% of respondents stated that their clients do not establish a greenhouse gas emissions budget for their projects. However, 20% foresee it as a potential future requirement. When asked about the data that would assist in accounting for emissions, 51% prioritized embodied carbon factors for materials, closely followed by 50% wanting projected carbon sequestration details for tree species specification.

Regarding accessing Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) and emissions assessments, 55% advocated for a curated register of baseline data, possibly developed by ASLA or a similar body. When procuring from manufacturers, 34% of p...

Frankenthaler Climate Initiative announces $2.7 million worth of clean energy funding to 48 arts institutions

2023-08-10T16:56:00-04:00

The Helen Frankenthaler Foundation has just announced the third cycle of its Frankenthaler Climate Initiative (FCI), representing a total of $2.7 million in funding to 48 different visual arts organizations across the country for 2023.

Along with the announcement of this year’s awardees, the FCI is also now expanding its footprint to $15 million and extending itself to additional 2024 and 2025 cycles. The Foundation shares it has now conferred more than $10.8 million worth of funding since the program was first initiated in 2021.

The list of organizations receiving funding this year includes Maine’s expanding Portland Museum of Art; The Noguchi Museum and Pratt Institute in New York City; SITE Santa Fe; and the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, among others in the cultural and education realms.

The Charles H. Wright Museum of African History in Detroit. Photo: Charles H. Wright Museum of African History

"2023 saw the largest number and most sophisticated project proposals to date, ...

Boston has officially banned fossil fuels in all new city-owned buildings

2023-08-07T15:57:00-04:00

Boston is officially ending its reliance on fossil fuels in government-owned buildings after Mayor Michelle Wu signed a new executive order banning their use in all new municipal construction and renovation projects across the city.

In a press statement released on July 31st, Wu told reporters: “Week after week, we see the signs of extreme heat, storms, and flooding that remind us of a closing window to take climate action. The benefits of embracing fossil fuel-free infrastructure in our City hold no boundary across industries and communities, and Boston will continue using every possible tool to build the green, clean, healthy, and prosperous future our city deserves.”

The initiative is part of a larger Green New Deal for Boston, which takes aim at various issues surrounding topics in the built environment. Boston’s stock of municipal buildings is currently responsible for only 2.3% of emissions city-wide, and proponents say the new mandate will help speed their overall decarboniz...