If you’re licensed in California, it’s not news that the practice of architecture is rapidly moving toward design that involves a zero-net carbon future.

On September 16, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 1010 into law which requires California architects to complete five hours of continuing education supporting zero net carbon design (ZNCD). This applies to all license renewals on or after January 1, 2023.

On December 8, President Biden announced a federal sustainability executive order to transform “how we build, buy, and manage electricity, vehicles, buildings, and other operations to be clean and sustainable.” This executive order outlines the goals to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.

Since the building sector is a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, this executive order will focus on clean energy and procurement of building materials in existing and new federal buildings. The two most notable goals are:

“A net-zero emissions building portfolio by 2045, including a 50 percent emissions reduction by 2032.”

“Net-zero emissions from Federal procurement, including a Buy Clean policy to promote the use of construction materials with lower embodied emissions.”

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