Bill > S2127

This bill aims to reduce embodied carbon emissions in state-funded construction projects by establishing new requirements for public works projects over 50,000 square feet. The legislation introduces three compliance pathways for reducing embodied carbon emissions by at least 30%: (1) a performance pathway requiring a whole building life cycle assessment that demonstrates a 30% reduction in global warming potential compared to a baseline building, (2) a re-use pathway that maintains at least 45% of an existing building's primary structural elements, and (3) a prescriptive pathway that requires environmental product declarations (EPDs) showing that 90% of covered products have lower carbon emissions than industry averages. Covered products include concrete, steel, reinforcing steel, and engineered wood products. The Department of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance will establish a database of baseline buildings, collect project data, and conduct biennial reviews to potentially increase emission reduction targets over time, with the ultimate goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. Contractors and designers must provide documentation and verification of their chosen compliance pathway, and project data will be anonymously shared with a federal life cycle assessment database to help track and improve carbon reduction efforts in the construction industry.