by Megan Kalsman, Policy Researcher, Carbon Leadership Forum
As I reflect on 2022 and the unprecedented amount of policies introduced and passed focusing on embodied carbon, it gives me hope that the building and infrastructure sector will continue to decarbonize at a level we need to meet our urgent climate goals. We saw action on the US Federal level with the historic passage of the Inflation Reduction Act dedicating over $4.5 billion of funding to advance low-carbon material production, labeling programs, and documentation primarily through the Environmental Protection Agency, General Services Agency, and Federal Highway Administration. On an international scale, the United Nations Industrial Deep Decarbonisation Initiative took steps to stimulate global demand for low-carbon industrial materials through public and private partnerships. Additionally, we witnessed many local jurisdictions taking innovative actions to address embodied carbon in their regions. To read more about the past year’s policy updates, check out our 2022 Policy Update.
One of the projects I’ve had the privilege of advancing this past year is the Pacific Coast Collaborative Low-Carbon Construction Task Force—a coalition of governments in British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, and California including the cities of Vancouver, Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, Oakland, and Los Angeles. The group shares ambitious goals to tackle climate change issues and is taking a collaborative approach to reduce embodied carbon through regional policy action. Throughout the past year, I’ve seen great progress in seeking opportunities for regional alignment and building strategic partnerships within the group. The planning done in 2022 will help inspire action and implementation in 2023 and beyond.
As we start the new year, I encourage everyone to take a step back and celebrate the hard work accomplished in 2022. I look forward to continuing to collaborate on this impactful work and we are so excited to see what 2023 brings!

All the best,

Megan
|