A new California bill would tackle carbon emissions in a new way—by requiring the use of lower-carbon construction products.
Assembly Bill 262, the Buy Clean Act, would require all state departments and the University of California and California State University systems to buy steel, rebar, flat glass, and mineral wool board insulation for its infrastructure projects from low-carbon producers. This would be a drastic change from the current lowest-cost purchasing strategy.
The latter allows contractors to buy materials from anywhere—including China—where materials are more likely to be produced with less energy efficient methods. The bill would require the state to determine the average greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions per unit from the manufacture of the four infrastructure products.
Bidders on state projects would be required to submit Environmental Product Declarations, (EPDs), to prove that the materials they use are at or below the average for GHG impact. The Buy Clean bill has bi-partisan support in the legislature, and is supported by a coalition of labor, business, environment, and building trade groups.
Related Stories
| Apr 13, 2012
Federal court reduces statute of limitations for OSHA action on record-keeping violations
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit sharply curtailed the period of time that companies can be cited for Occupational Safety and Health reporting violations, reversing the decision of an administrative panel and longstanding agency precedent.
| Apr 13, 2012
CSI webinar: Green Construction Codes Are Here -- Now What?
This seminar will trace the origins of green codes, how they compare and differ from the rating systems that have been used, and examine some of their main features.
| Apr 5, 2012
Retailers, banks among most affected by new ADA rules
On March 15, the most significant changes to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) since it became law in 1991 went into effect.
| Apr 5, 2012
Florida ranks first in hurricane building codes and enforcement
Florida ranks highest among 18 hurricane-region states for building codes and their enforcement, according to the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety.
| Apr 5, 2012
New IgCC green building code is a ‘game changer,’ AIA official says
An AIA official calls the new International Green Construction Code (IgCC) a “game changer” for sustainable construction.
| Apr 5, 2012
Model energy codes add thousands to cost of new apartment construction, study says
New energy codes could add thousands of dollars to the construction costs of each individual apartment residence in a multifamily building, according to new research commissioned by the National Multi-Housing Council and the National Apartment Association.
| Apr 5, 2012
LEED 2012 will include new requirements for data centers
The U.S. Green Building Council’s updated LEED 2012 standards will require two systems to be modeled for each project in order to show power utilization effectiveness.
| Mar 30, 2012
CSI webinar: Durable & energy efficient building envelope design, April 24
This seminar will review recent changes in North America energy codes, examples of building enclosure wall assemblies being considered for code compliance, potential moisture management and durability challenges, and design tools that could be used to assess and minimize potential problems.