Commercial, Energy Efficiency, GHG Emissions  -  July 6, 2023

Cambridge Adopts Building Emissions Regulations

The City of Cambridge in Massachusetts mandated non-residential buildings reduce their GHG emissions with a net-zero requirement by 2035 for large buildings (larger than 100,000 square feet) and 2050 for mid-size buildings (100,000 square feet or smaller). 

The City of Cambridge set a more aggressive initial target of 2035 to reach net zero compared to a goal of 2050 set by Massachusetts, according to a statement.

The city adopted the newest amendments to the Building Energy Use Disclosure Ordinance (BEUDO). Cambridge’s BEUDO emissions will be lowered by 50% by 2030 compared to today and reduced by approximately 70% by 2035. BEUDO was passed in 2014 and requires energy and water reporting from commercial properties over 25,000 square feet and residential properties over 50 units, which regulates about 1,100 buildings in Cambridge. 

In 2022, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) issued a global report indicating that carbon pollution will need to be cut by approximately two-thirds by 2035.