In response to the Biden Administration’s announcement of a new Federal Buildings Performance Standard to eliminate Scope 1 emissions in 30% of federal buildings by 2030, Evergreen Action Co-founder and Senior Advisor Sam Ricketts released the following statement: 

“Direct emissions from fossil-fueled heating, cooling, and cooking appliances are America's 4th largest source of climate pollution. President Biden’s newly announced Federal Buildings Performance Standard (BPS) will eliminate this pollution from 30% of federal buildings by 2030 and catalyze the already-growing market for clean, efficient, electric appliances. By leveraging its purchasing power as the country’s largest building owner, the federal government has tremendous potential to reduce emissions from one of the most polluting sectors of our economy. 

“Evergreen has repeatedly called for a federal BPS because reducing emissions from our built environment is a critical component of an all-of-government approach to tackling the climate crisis. To maximize the lifesaving impact of this standard, the administration should prioritize eliminating Scope 1 CO2 and NOx pollution from buildings in disadvantaged communities with heavy pollution burdens. Today’s announcement is a strong signal that the Biden administration is living up to its commitments and powering toward the president’s target of a 50% reduction in carbon pollution from federal buildings by 2032.”

Earlier this year, Evergreen called for a robust federal BPS in its report, A National Roadmap for Clean Buildings. That same report also called for the administration to reach compliance with Section 433 of the Energy Independence and Security Act, which banned fossil fuel consumption in new or majorly renovated federal buildings by 2030. The Department of Energy’s newly proposed rule, announced today, is a critical first step toward achieving that target. You can download the full report and read the full suite of recommendations here.

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