On Dec. 13, 2023, Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell signed a new law mandating carbon reductions for buildings with a floor area of at least 20,000 square feet, known as the Building Emissions Performance Standards (BEPS). Under the new legislation, large buildings will have to begin carbon reductions by 2030; nonresidential buildings are required to reach net zero by 2045, and residential buildings will have until 2050.
The legislation marks Seattle’s entry into a growing list of U.S. cities — such as New York, Boston and San Francisco — that are limiting greenhouse gas emissions from buildings in an effort to mitigate the worst effects of climate change.
The Seattle Office of Sustainability and Environment (OSE) estimates that once the regulations are fully implemented, they will result in a 27% reduction in building greenhouse emissions. In the most recent 2020 greenhouse gas emissions inventory, OSE found that buildings accounted for 36.8% of core emissions in Seattle, with transportation accounting for 61.1%. Full BEPS compliance by 2050 would amount to a 10.2% reduction in total core emissions over 2020 levels.
The legislation is the culmination of a two-year drafting process by OSE in which it solicited feedback from community members and impacted stakeholders. It follows a November 2021 pledge by then Mayor Jenny Durkan to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions in all city-owned buildings by 2035.
Currently, the majority of building carbon emissions are caused by methane gas furnaces, with some from oil heating systems. However, electricity from Seattle City Light comes mainly from carbon-free hydroelectricity; the utility says it has been carbon-neutral since 2005. Transitioning from gas-powered boilers and furnaces to electric heat pumps may be the most cost effective way to reduce emissions. Additionally, building owners may also look to improving insulation and power conservation to cut costs and emissions.
To aid the transition, Seattle has set up a $4.5-million “Seattle Clean Buildings Accelerator” program to help educate and provide technical assistance to building owners.
In the coming years, owners of large buildings will have to assess their properties’ emissions and create a plan toward reduction. Failure to comply could result in flat fines of $7,500 to $15,000 for inaccurate reporting and $2.50 to $10 per square foot for not meeting targets. Regulators will also have the ability to establish grace periods prior to issuing fines.
The BEPS regulations mirror similar standards being imposed throughout Washington. In November 2022, the Washington building codes council issued guidelines requiring new buildings to install electric heat pumps instead of gas furnaces. However, that plan was derailed by a 9th Circuit Court decision in April 2023 that ruled local authorities cannot unilaterally discriminate against certain fuel types.
In response, the building code council revised its standards in November 2023 to no longer explicitly ban gas furnaces. Still, the new code requires future buildings to reduce emissions along the lines of electric heat pumps, effectively making it near impossible for gas heating systems to meet those standards.
Climate advocates hailed the ordinance as a step forward in tackling climate change in Seattle.
“We need more climate policies like the BEPS; policies that meet Seattle’s climate goals while creating more green jobs, fostering climate resilience, affordable housing and transportation,” said Shemona Morena, the executive director of the climate justice activist group 350 Seattle, in a Dec. 13 press release.
According to Ruth Sawyer, a climate and clean energy organizer with the Sierra Club, the BEPS ordinance is an important building block in dealing with Seattle’s greenhouse gas emissions.
“This is definitely one tool that cities have,” Sawyer said. “Cities have such a huge carbon footprint collectively, and this is something that we can really do to address that.”
Sawyer cautioned there is still a lot more work to be done, particularly for small and medium-sized buildings not covered under BEPS. Additionally, Seattle still has to find ways to address the largest source of its greenhouse gas emissions: transportation. While in 2020 transport-related emissions plummeted as a result of social distancing and the proliferation of remote work, much of those gains appear to be short-lived.
So far, opposition from gas lobbyists has been relatively limited, with most of the efforts focused on the state building codes council. In fact, the new BEPS law appears to have broad support from not just climate advocates but also unions and housing developers, as well as buy-in from both moderate and progressive-leaning politicians.
Sawyer said they are optimistic about what other climate policies Seattle can take on in the near future to build off BEPS.
“We’re gonna have to be creative to figure out some of the other steps, but we are at a really good place to start,” Sawyer said.
Guy Oron is the staff reporter for Real Change. He handles coverage of our weekly news stories. Find them on Twitter, @GuyOron.
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