Boston's Building Emissions Reduction and Disclosure Ordinance (BERDO)
BERDO is a local law that aims to reduce air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions generated by large buildings in Boston. Building owners subject to BERDO are required to report their buildings' annual energy and water consumption. Starting in either 2025 or 2030, they will also need to comply with building emissions standards (i.e., emissions limits). These emissions standards decrease over time, with all buildings expected to reach net-zero emissions by 2050.
ARTICLE XIV. - HIGH-PERFORMANCE EXISTING BUILDINGS PROGRAM
The purpose of this article is first to establish a high-performance existing buildings program that requires covered building owners to benchmark building energy performance and to make such energy performance information publicly available in order to raise awareness and drive action. The article's purpose is also to require covered building owners to address existing building performance through energy efficiency, renewables, and/or renewable heating and cooling (electrification) to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the built environment to further the City and County of Denver's climate action goal of zero greenhouse gas emissions in existing buildings by 2040.
City of Toronto, By-Law 1283-2023 - To adopt a new City of Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 367, Building Emissions Performance.
In 2023, the City of Toronto enacted and passed a by-law requiring property owners to report building performance, including, but not limited to, electricity consumption, natural gas consumption, and district steam heating consumption.
Vancouver, BC - Annual Greenhouse Gas and Energy Limits By-Law
The Annual Greenhouse Gas and Energy Limits By-law PDF file (212 KB) requires owners and managers of existing large commercial and multi-family buildings to measure and report:
These regulations are being implemented:
Washington, DC - Building Energy Performance Standards (BEPS) Compliance and Enforcement Guidebook for Compliance Cycle 1 (Guidebook)
DOEE has created the Building Energy Performance Standards (BEPS) Compliance and Enforcement Guidebook for Compliance Cycle 1 (Guidebook) to assist building owners in understanding the requirements, compliance methods, and enforcement of the BEPS Program for buildings that do not meet the BEPS. DOEE has included appendices and technical information to assist in understanding procedural requirements, and forms and templates are available on the Online BEPS Portal (Portal). For more information and older versions, see Development History.
New York City's BEPS, established under Local Law 97, requires most buildings over 25,000 square feet to meet strict annual carbon emissions limits starting in 2024, with progressively tighter limits through 2050 to achieve net-zero emissions. Compliance can be achieved through emissions reductions, limited use of renewable energy credits, and in some cases, prescriptive actions for specific building types like affordable housing. Buildings that exceed their emissions cap face significant financial penalties, making this one of the most ambitious and enforceable building decarbonization laws in North America.
Seattle's BEPS, passed in 2023, requires existing non-residential and multifamily buildings over 20,000 sq ft to meet gradually stricter emissions targets starting in 2031, with net-zero required by 2050. Compliance includes emissions reporting, reduction planning, and flexible pathways like electrification or exemptions. Fines apply for non-compliance, with support available for building owners.
Washington's BEPS, passed in 2019, requires existing government building over 10,000 sqft and commercial/multi unit residential buildings over 20,000 sqft to meet EUI targets. The compliance cycles are five years, with initial compliance beginning in June 1st 2026.
St Louis' BEPS, passed in 2020, requires government, commercial, and multi-family buildings over 50,000 sqft to meet EUI standards. Standards to be set no lower than the 65th percentile by property type, so that at least 65% of the buildings of the property type have a higher EUI. The Office of Building Performance will issue new performance standards at the end of each compliance cycle. The standards include two compliance pathways: performance path and early adopter path. Early adopted path include properties that are compliant for that cycle and the next 1 - 2 cycles.
Chula Vista's BEPS targets government, commercial and multifamily buildings over 20,000 sqft. Its performance metrics uses ENRGY STAR score or weather normalized site EUI. There are two compliance pathways: non-residential buildings and and multifamily buildings with significant owner-paid energy use must either (1) achieve a minimum EUI improvement or (2) complete an Energy Audit and Retrocommissioning and meet a smaller mandatory minimum improvement by the end of the next compliance cycle.