A new initiative by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is expected to revolutionize the carbon emissions approach in the construction industry. Beginning in 2026, the EPA will establish labels and a central search directory that makes it easier for buyers to identify and purchase construction materials with lower carbon footprints. This step aims to increase eco-friendly steel, concrete, and glass use.
Focus on High-Emission Materials
At its inception, this $100 million program was designed for four major building materials: steel, asphalt, concrete, and glass. These are selected due to high embodied emissions and large volumes bought by the government. The aim is to utilize public procurement for cleaner manufacturing and product use.
“The world’s largest buyer of goods and services is the US federal government,” highlights EPA stating that Federal procurement was worth over $694 billion in 2022. Government-funded projects account for over 50% of all poured concrete in America and cause over 30% of construction-related emissions countrywide.
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EPA’s Approach to Carbon Labelling
Michal Freedhoff, who serves as Assistant Administrator for the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention, stressed the importance of these recent labels; "By clearly labeling what 'buy clean' means for products like concrete, glass, and steel, EPA will help accelerate demand for these materials and continue to build the clean energy economy," Freedhoff said, according to the Chemical Engineer.
The aim is directed at establishing a public registry containing materials or products that satisfy new criteria on carbon footprint. Other efforts are underway to standardize data quality used in calculating embodied carbon. Whether categorizing possibly good or better into ‘best’ donates which products had higher/lower levels of CO2 emission during the production/construction process
Next Steps And Manufacturer Involvement
Manufacturers interested in becoming part of the labeling program and needing guidance on measuring emissions are encouraged to contact EPA. A comprehensive registry for labeled products will be developed at the final stage of this exercise.
This $100 million initiative is funded through the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), which has also allocated more than $2 billion to purchase cleaner materials for federal building construction and renovation. There is an additional $2 billion set aside by the Federal Highway Administration for fostering the use of these materials in transportation projects.
Ultimately, this new labeling system will pave the way for significant improvements in environmental sustainability within the construction industry by giving them concrete steps towards reducing carbon emissions and moving to cleaner choices.
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