(Image: City of Seattle)

Estimates show Seattle’s buildings are responsible for about 37% of the greenhouse gas emissions in the city. A new proposal would raise the standards on the city’s largest buildings to speed up efforts to address climate pollution.

Wednesday, the Seattle City Council’s Committee on Climate Action will consider legislation that would “dramatically lower the carbon footprint of existing large buildings in Seattle,” according to a briefing on the bill.

The bill aims to achieve net-zero building emissions by 2050 by establishing emissions reduction targets for buildings greater than 20,000 square feet, measuring and verifying greenhouse gas emissions, helping building owners create decarbonization plans, and establishing fees.

The plan would impact around 4,100 existing buildings larger than 20,000 square feet around the city including a handful of school, health, and residential buildings around Capitol Hill and the Central District. The standards would be phased in over five-year intervals with the city’s largest structures first on the list.

Examples of changes that can make net-zero possible include transitioning to heat pump heating and cooling, insulation work, improved windows, lighting upgrades, and “outdoor air ventilation.”

The standards would also include compliance options including one “pathway” that includes “Compliance Payments” in lieu of meeting some of the standards.

• Path A: Meet standard or portfolio emissions targets at each 5-year interval. Building owners must verify their emissions and meet 5-year targets to be net-zero by 2050.

• Path B: Minor modifications to standard targets. Building owners may receive extensions or exemptions, the ability to deduct emissions from certain end uses, or a make a compliance payment for the first interval.
• Path C: Special consideration and flexibility due to unique circumstances. Building owners must create a detailed Decarbonization Compliance Plan that outlines their path to net-zero.

According to a 2020 Seattle Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory study, buildings were the biggest single driver of climate pollution after driving’s whopping 61% mark. Building-related emissions mostly come from burning fossil fuels like gas and oil, officials say. But even the steam-heated buildings around the city and on Capitol Hill contribute to the totals.

Seattle is also taking on other sources of pollution from its built environment. New development and new buildings in the city must be greenhouse gas-neutral by 2030. Mayor Bruce Harrell’s office is also touting its efforts to help residential homes transition away from heating oil, which is the most polluting form of home heating in Seattle. The city recently reached a milestone of providing more than 1,000 rebates and no-cost upgrades to help low-to-middle income families switch to energy-efficient heat pumps. The city estimates that by 2030 there will be no remaining homes in Seattle heated with oil.

The city’s climate change policy calls for Seattle to reach an almost 40% emissions reduction in the buildings sector by 2030 and to be net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.

Officials say policy changes over the past decade have helped building owners prepare for the new standards with the start of Seattle Energy Benchmarking and Reporting in 2011 and other initiatives like Washington State Clean Buildings Standards.

The new Seattle Building Emissions Performance Standard would require property owners to measure and verify building energy use and emissions, and document current performance, and equipment, while drawing up plans to hit the new targets including measuring out to net-zero “with narrow exceptions” by 2050.

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