Seattle Passes Landmark Legislation to Reduce Building Emissions

Seattle has passed a new law requiring large commercial and residential buildings to phase out fossil fuels and other forms of greenhouse gas emissions. The law applies to around 4,100 buildings that are 20,000 square feet or larger, which comprise only 3 percent of all buildings in the city but produce over a third of total building emissions — the second largest source of greenhouse gases after transportation.

Under the new regulation, signed into law by Mayor Bruce Harrell, buildings are given a “greenhouse gas intensity” metric, which is calculated by taking the total emissions of a building, accounting for different fuel types, and then dividing by the building’s total square feet, reported the Seattle Times.

Urban skyscrapers, retail stores, community centers, research facilities, offices, and some low-rise apartment buildings have been identified as targets for decarbonization. The new regulation requires building owners and managers to form a plan to decarbonize before 2031, backed by penalties for inaccurate reporting or failure to meet targets. The legislation is expected to reduce total building emissions by 27 percent across the city by 2050 compared with current levels.