WASHINGTON, DC – March 4, 2021 – CRTKL is joining over 130 architecture, engineering, and construction industry companies to urge the Biden administration to “build back greener” – namely, by adding sustainable building strategies to his climate agenda and environmental justice plans.
“It was important for us to sign the Architecture, Engineering and Construction industry’s letter to the Biden administration because any comprehensive plan to reduce GHG emissions has to include carbon reduction strategies from the building sector– while also proposing resiliency measures that will address vulnerability to climate change and social equity,” says Pablo LaRoche, Associate Principal and leader of CRTKL’s Performance-Driven Design (PDD) team.
The letter recommends actions in six categories:
- Enhance federal building standards—Includes a return to Obama-era requirements for high performance along with new initiatives aimed at decarbonizing the federal building stock, like a base building code for all federal buildings, which are not subject to local codes.
- Stimulate building reuse and upgrades—Calls for tax code reforms and other means of promoting reuse and retrofits.
- Promote healthy housing and resilient communities—Suggests national guidelines for healthy housing, along with better resilience tools like higher-quality flood maps.
- Electrify to achieve a carbon-free grid—Highlights opportunities like model net-carbon building codes and model electricity rates that incentivize grid harmonization.
- Promote material health and product transparency—Addresses toxic cleaning products and building materials, along with embodied carbon.
- Promote healthy schools for all—Includes the idea of an Office of Healthy, High Performance and Resilient Facilities within the Department of Education.
By speaking as an industry sector rather than an advocacy group, the Sustainable AEC Leaders hope to gain more traction within the Biden administration. Companies can review the AEC letter here and sign on to be included in that campaign by filling out this Google form by March 10.