The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, recently passed by the U.S. Senate, sets aside over $5 billion for low carbon procurement in the built environment.
The policies in the bill aim to drive aggressive emissions reductions by 2030 within the building sector by incentivizing the use of low-carbon, clean materials for public infrastructure projects. Direct investments and tax credits will facilitate deep industrial decarbonization, with the potential to reduce over 200 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually by 2030.
Provisions in the bill include:
- $250 million for Environmental Product Declarations Assistance to support the development and standardization of EPDs for construction materials with grants and technical assistance to manufacturers.
- $100 million for Low-Embodied Carbon Labeling for Construction Materials to identify and label low-carbon materials and products for federally funded transportation and building projects.
- $2.15 billion for Use of Low-Carbon Buildings to specify and install low-embodied carbon materials and products for use in General Services Administration-owned buildings.
- $2 billion for Low-Carbon Transportation Grants that reimburse and incentivize the use of low-carbon materials and products for Federal Highway Administration projects.
- $4 billion for Improving Climate Resilience of Affordable Housing for funding to improve energy or water efficiency, indoor air quality and/or sustainability of projects, and implement low-carbon technologies, materials, and products to improve climate resiliency in affordable housing.
- FEMA Building Materials Program providing financial assistance for the use of low-carbon materials and incentives that encourage low-carbon and net-zero energy projects.
Related Stories
| Sep 8, 2022
U.S. construction costs expected to rise 14% year over year by close of 2022
Coldwell Banker Richard Ellis (CBRE) is forecasting a 14.1% year-on-year increase in U.S. construction costs by the close of 2022.
| Sep 2, 2022
Converting office buildings to apartments is cheaper, greener than building new
Converting office buildings to apartments is cheaper and greener than tearing down old office properties and building new residential buildings.
| Aug 29, 2022
Montana becomes first U.S. state to approve 3D printing in construction
Montana is the first U.S. state to give broad regulatory approval for 3D printing in building construction.
| Aug 26, 2022
Idaho Building Code Board considers gutting large part of state energy code
Idaho Building Code Board considers gutting large part of state energy code.
| Aug 25, 2022
New York City’s congestion pricing aims to reduce traffic, cut carbon
Officials recently released an environmental assessment that analyzes seven different possible pricing schemes for New York City’s congestion pricing program.
| Aug 23, 2022
New Mass. climate and energy law allows local bans on fossil fuel-powered appliances
A sweeping Massachusetts climate and energy bill recently signed into law by Republican governor Charlie Baker allows local bans on fossil fuel-powered appliances.
| Aug 22, 2022
Gainesville, Fla., lawmakers moved to end single-family zoning
The Gainesville City Commission recently voted to advance zoning changes that would allow duplexes, triplexes, and quadplexes to be built on land currently zoned for single-family homes.
| Aug 19, 2022
Future sea rise could expose 720,000 more people on East Coast to flooding
An analysis by NPR based on modeling from the National Hurricane Center for New York City, Washington, D.C., and Miami-Dade County found future sea rise could expose about 720,000 more people to damaging floods later this century.
| Aug 16, 2022
DOE funds 18 projects developing tech to enable buildings to store carbon
The Department of Energy announced $39 million in awards for 18 projects that are developing technologies to transform buildings into net carbon storage structures.
| Aug 11, 2022
Report examines supposed conflict between good design and effective cost management
A report by the American Institute of Architects and the Associated General Contractors of America takes a look at the supposed conflict between good design and effective cost management, and why it causes friction between architects and contractors.
