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 least 35% better than the median EUI to meet the criteria. Standardized documentation for the process will be facilitated by the Environmental Protection Agency ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager system.

“A federal definition of a zero-emission building offers significant benefits to the communities that the architecture, engineering, construction, and real estate sectors serve and supports our industry's emissions drawdown. A uniform definition, verifiable through federal agencies, will unlock more public and private investments in emissions-effective and resilient buildings across a diverse array of real estate,” the letter outlines. 

“The goal is to impact as many buildings as possible to rapidly reduce operational emissions, which currently account for nearly a third of U.S greenhouse gas emissions,” the text continues. “In the future, the definition can be refined to embrace Scope 3 and other emissions related to real estate as measurement and verification of these emissions becomes more standardized.”

“Getting to zero emissions does not need to be a premium product. We know how to do this,” White House National Climate Adviser Ali Zaidi told the Washington Post in an interview in September. “It just has to get to scale, which I think a common definition will facilitate.”

The full statement and list of signatories can be found here.