City Council

(23) 23­1391 ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT and PLANNING AND LAND USE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEES’ REPORT relative to reducing embodied carbon with recommendations for updating the Los Angeles Green Building Code to create a framework that sets limits on the embodied carbon allowed for new construction and major additions to buildings larger than 50,000 square feet, and related matters. Recommendations for Council action, pursuant to Motion (Raman ­ Yaroslavsky): 1. INSTRUCT the Department of Building and Safety (DBS), in consultation with the City Attorney, the Los Angeles Housing Department (Housing), the Department of City Planning (Planning), the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP), and the Climate Emergency Mobilization Office (CEMO) as necessary, to report back within 180 days with recommendations for updating the Los Angeles Green Building Code to create a framework that sets limits on the embodied carbon allowed for new construction and major additions to buildings larger than 50,000 square feet, in consultation with stakeholders and industry experts. The report should consider the following: a. Staffing and resources needed to implement the proposal, including identifying and selecting a contractor with expertise in evaluating Whole Building Life Cycle Assessments (WBLCA) and preparing code amendments, if necessary. b. Mandating completion of a Whole Building Life Cycle Analysis, showing a reduction in Global Warming Potential (GWP) over a baseline, in order to obtain permits to commence construction for new building projects and major additions over 50,000 square feet and developing a timeline for required GWP reductions in accordance with the City’s C40 commitments. Tuesday - April 9, c. Defining 2024 - requirements PAGE 27 for WBLCA models including mandatory and optional building elements and materials to be b. Mandating completion of a Whole Building Life Cycle Analysis, showing a reduction in Global Warming Potential (GWP) over a baseline, in order to obtain permits to commence construction for new building projects and major additions over 50,000 square feet and developing a timeline for required GWP reductions in accordance with the City’s C40 commitments. c. Defining requirements for WBLCA models including mandatory and optional building elements and materials to be included. d. Defining requirements for baseline models to be used in a WBLCA against which GWP reductions are to be measured. e. Collecting and analyzing WBLCA data for the purpose of developing and publishing benchmarks by building typology against which GWP reductions will be measured. f. Developing a process for verification of installed materials against materials included in the WBLCA and/or including a post­construction update to the WBLCA. Developing financial assistance to complete a WBLCA for affordable housing developments, or exempting 100% affordable housing projects from these requirements. g. Implementing process­based incentives for building developers who comply with these requirements, such as expedited plan check or prioritized utility connections. h. Developing a timeline and plan for the implementation of these requirements. 2. INSTRUCT the DBS, in consultation with the City Attorney, Housing, Planning, and the CEMO as necessary, to report back within 180 days with recommendations for an update to the Los Angeles Green Building Code to require less carbon­intensive building materials for new construction projects and major additions to buildings in the City that are smaller than 50,000 square feet. The report should include the following: a. Recommendations for adopting the Buy Clean California Act material GWP limits as part of the City’s building code with an amendment to include processed glass and insulated glazing units. b. Recommendations for including GWP and/or cement limits for Tuesday - April 9, 2024 - concrete. PAGE 28 new construction projects and major additions to buildings in the City that are smaller than 50,000 square feet. The report should include the following: a. Recommendations for adopting the Buy Clean California Act material GWP limits as part of the City’s building code with an amendment to include processed glass and insulated glazing units. b. Recommendations for including GWP and/or cement limits for concrete. c. An assessment of implementation options for these policies that will not substantially increase housing costs. d. A financial analysis of including financial assistance to comply with these policies for affordable housing development. 3. INSTRUCT the DBS, in consultation with the Department of Public Works, Planning, and the Bureau of Sanitation as necessary, to report back within 180 days with recommendations to incentivize the reduction of construction waste through re­use of building materials. The report should consider the following: a. Including exemptions to WBLCA and Buy Clean requirements in cases where more than 45% of an existing building is reused. b. A d v a n c i n g e x i s t i n g r e q u i r e m e n t s o r c r e a t i n g n e w requirements for construction and demolition waste diversion away from landfills, and incentivizing re­use of building materials. Fiscal Impact Statement: Neither the City Administrative Officer nor the Chief Legislative Analyst has completed a financial analysis of this report.