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New GSA standards set carbon limits on building materials for all major projects

Standards

New GSA standards set carbon limits on building materials for all major projects

Require federal contractors to use climate-friendly concrete and asphalt.


By Peter Fabris, Contributing Editor | May 9, 2022
Building Materials
Courtesy Pixabay

New General Services Administration standards place limitations on high carbon-emitting building materials for all major projects under the GSA umbrella.

The new rules require federal contractors to use climate-friendly concrete, asphalt, and metal products in all the agency’s major projects. GSA oversees $75 billion in annual contracts and is responsible for a real estate portfolio of more than 370 million sf of structures.

The standards also will govern projects funded by the bipartisan infrastructure bill that became law last year. GSA says the standards are intended to catalyze clean energy innovation and strengthen American leadership in clean manufacturing.

Contractors will have to declare the greenhouse gas emissions associated with their building materials via environmental product declarations. Carbon emitted from a product’s extraction, transportation, and manufacturing will be considered.

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