In March Councilor Matt O’Malley—chair of the Committee on the Environment, Sustainability, and Parks—convened the first working session to continue the process of crafting an ordinance that will move new buildings in Boston toward net-zero carbon. The effort began last year with a Council hearing. We know that buildings account for more than half of all our greenhouse gas emissions and that if we are going to reach the Mayor’s stated goal of Boston’s being carbon neutral by 2050, we cannot fuel the buildings in the city’s third largest construction boom with gas. BCEC is helping facilitate this effort with Councilor O’Malley.
Moving new construction toward net-zero carbon means developing incentives and regulations now with input from all stakeholders. Toward that end, Councilor O’Malley’s public working sessions seek to include architects, engineers, professors, builders, developers, and real estate attorneys as well as representatives from the administration’s BPDA, Environment, and other departments engaging in the process. Two future working sessions will build toward the goal of passing an ordinance by the end of 2018 that establishes incentives and regulations for new buildings to be net-zero carbon. The next working session is scheduled for May 15 at 3 pm and is open to all. It will be held in on the 5th floor of City Hall in the Piemonte Room.