Description: The climate action plan for King County, WA includes greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions as a criterion in purchasing decisions. King County implemented a tracking mechanism for concrete and cement alternatives that are collected annually through green building reporting. It will develop best practices/guidance on how and when to use alternatives, and set targets for use of low-GHG cement alternatives.
By 2022, the County shall create standard specifications for concrete and begin requesting environmental product declarations (EPDs) for this material in construction bids. By 2023, it will require the use of EPDs for concrete and, by 2024, require a maximum global warming potential for concrete products, which it will enforce for all construction projects starting in 2025.
Goal: Reduce embodied CO2 emissions in building materials.
Measurement: Reductions in embodied carbon for concrete products
Time to Implement: Ten years: Beginning with an explicit plan in 2015, the use and enforcement of a specification with a stated maximum global warming potential for concrete products is expected by 2025
Links:
King County 2015 CAP (page 85)
https://your.kingcounty.gov/dnrp/climate/documents/2015_King_County_SCAP-ActionPlan-Section1.pdf
King County 2017 Biennial Report (page 45)
https://your.kingcounty.gov/dnrp/climate/documents/2017-SCAP-Biennial-Report.pdf
King County Purchasing Guide – Concrete
https://kingcounty.gov/depts/finance-business-operations/procurement/for-government/environmental-purchasing/Purchasing_Guide/Concrete.aspx
See page 151 of Section 1 of the 2020 Strategic Climate Action Plan
https://your.kingcounty.gov/dnrp/climate/documents/scap-2020-approved/2020-scap-reducing-ghg-emissions-section.pdf
Additional Information:
Low Carbon Concrete Code
https://www.stopwaste.org/concrete
Carbon Impact of Concrete
https://materialspalette.org/concrete/
Contact Info: