The Environmental Protection Agency Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention has outlined an implementation plan for a program and publicly accessible registry providing data on greenhouse gas emissions attending principal building and infrastructure project inputs. The EPA Label Program for Low Embodied Carbon Construction Materials will define parameters and thresholds informing the White House Federal Buy Clean Initiative, which aims to grow the market and reward innovation for American-made, lower-carbon construction materials. Initial labeling is set for late 2026 and will involve concrete, asphalt, glass and steel. The charter materials are targeted for the energy intensity of their processing and production, plus outsize role, by volume, in deliveries to building and infrastructure sites fully or partially funded with federal dollars. In the case of concrete, EPA notes, federal funds factor into projects accounting for more than half the industry’s annual output.
“By clearly labeling what ‘buy clean’ means for products like concrete, glass and steel, EPA will help accelerate demand for these materials and continue to build the clean energy economy,” says Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention Assistant Administrator Michal Freedhoff. The Label Program for Low Embodied Carbon Construction Materials has been developed with funding from the Inflation Reduction Act, he adds, which provides the General Services Administration and Federal Highway Administration upwards of $2 billion each to use clean materials in building or transportation projects.
“This program will accelerate our efforts to achieve a net zero federal footprint and catalyze American innovation,” notes GSA Commissioner of Public Buildings Service Elliot Doomes. “GSA is proud to work with the EPA, other government agencies, and private industry to use our buying power to drive the development of more sustainable building materials, create good-paying jobs, and lower operating costs for the American taxpayer.”
“The use of lower carbon materials, that have the durability of conventional materials while lowering greenhouse gas emissions, is one pathway that FHWA is pursuing to help us achieve a goal of net zero emissions by 2050,” affirms Associate Administrator for Infrastructure Hari Kalla. “EPA’s announcement supports transportation agencies throughout the country with tools to ensure we are appropriately implementing low carbon materials.”
The agency anticipates that labeling requirements for each material or product type will be periodically reviewed and updated every two to four years to respond to and drive market shifts and help users meet sustainability objectives.