The Environmental Protection Agency is set to review feedback from a February-March public comment period involving a draft approach for implementing an Inflation Reduction Act-funded Label Program for Low Embodied Carbon Construction Materials. The $100 million undertaking will support the White House Buy Clean Initiative, applicable to Departments of Defense and Transportation and General Services Administration procurement, by helping define…
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Sustainable Recovery
New FEMA Policy Takes Holistic View to Sustainability and Resilience BY RYAN COLKER In 2023, the U.S. experienced a record 28 disasters causing over $1 billion in damages, far eclipsing the prior record of 22 in 2020. Many of these disasters are driven by climate change. Communities that are impacted by these disasters often experience a long road to recovery…
Read MoreAGC previews project GHG emissions assessment, tracking, reduction tool
Source: Associated General Contractors of America, Washington, D.C. Playbook on Decarbonization and Carbon Reporting in the Construction Industry, set for posting by May 1 at www.agc.org, is among Associated General Contractors of America efforts to make sure construction firms play a leading role in crafting carbon-reduction measures throughout project delivery. A four-step process guides contractors and partners to confirm and…
Read MoreGroups challenge FHWA greenhouse gas emissions measure
In a letter to U.S. House and Senate members, 14 associations representing construction materials, products and downstream interests question the Federal Highway Administration’s authority to proceed with a greenhouse gas performance measure on projects the agency funds. Their argument traces the absence of a legal basis for a November 2023 FHWA rule, “National Performance Management Measures; Assessing Performance of the…
Read MoreLabor observer sees continuing slide in unionized construction workforce
An Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of 2023 union membership data published by UnionStats.com finds at least 90 percent of workers in the private construction industry do not belong to a union in 29 states, up from 26 and 24 states in the prior two years. North Carolina, Mississippi, Maine, South Carolina and Texas lead the current list of states…
Read MoreAgency commits $20M to Ash Grove, Buzzi, CalPortland, Sublime carbon work
The U.S. Department of Energy is contributing to five projects in Decarbonizing Cement and Concrete, one of eight topic areas in the agency’s Industrial Heat Shot program, where present funding and grants total $171 million. Industrial Heat Shot is part of the broader Industrial Emissions Reduction Development Program under the DOE Industrial Efficiency and Decarbonization Office. The Cement and Concrete…
Read MoreTruck heavyweights charter coalition to advance zero-emission vehicle era
Daimler Truck North America, Navistar Inc. and Volvo Group North America lead founding members of Powering America’s Commercial Transportation (PACT), a Washington, D.C. coalition focused on education and advocacy for accelerating the construction of nationwide infrastructure for medium- and heavy-duty zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs). Company executives assembled in Washington, D.C. for a kickoff at the National Press Club, citing PACT’s “express…
Read MoreASHRAE, ICC weigh feedback on building life cycle emissions draft
ASHRAE and the International Code Council invite comment to their jointly developed document, Proposed ASHRAE/ICC Standard 240P – Quantification of Life Cycle Greenhouse Gas Emissions of Buildings, through this month. The draft of the standard can be obtained and comments portal accessed at osr.ashrae.org. Standard 240P will provide a methodology to quantify the embodied and operational GHG emissions associated with…
Read MorePolicy-minded startups charter Decarbonized Cement and Concrete Alliance
Ten companies aiming to lower carbon dioxide emissions tied to cement production and finished concrete have launched a first-of-its-kind, U.S. coalition dedicated to growing awareness around policies that will accelerate the adoption of CO2-wise solutions in public construction. Founding Decarbonized Cement and Concrete Alliance (DC2) members are commercializing technologies that a) offer organic or inorganic alternatives for full or partial…
Read MoreAmerican Concrete Pavement Association honors federal agencies, lawmaker
The American Concrete Pavement Association has named recipients of its annual awards for individuals, organizations and agencies in transportation engineering, construction, education and funding program advocacy, plus those excelling in concrete pavement promotion. Sustainable Practices Recognition Award. Presented annually to an organization demonstrating leadership by implementing sustainable design and construction practices that consider societal, environmental, and economic factors. This year’s…
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