Carbon-reduction initiatives have begun to increasingly target
the construction industry, particularly in light of data showing
that buildings generate up to 40% of global annual greenhouse gas
emissions. While the Federal Green New Deal remains stalled in
Congress and states have been slow to spring into action, a number
of cities have moved forward with climate proposals that include a
shift toward carbon-free buildings.
Most recently, on February 10, 2020, Los Angeles Mayor Eric
Garcetti issued an executive directive to accelerate the
initiatives of the Green New Deal adopted by Los Angeles in April
2019. The directive requires all new municipally owned buildings or
major renovations to be designed to reach carbon neutrality by
2030. The directive suggests several methods to accomplish its goal
of zero carbon buildings, including maximizing deployment of energy
efficiency, smart design, on-site renewable generation, and
electrification (i.e., converting building
