Mayor Michelle Wu said the new rule will help boost demand for green materials and create new jobs in the green building sector.
An executive order signed by Boston Mayor Michelle Wu bans the use of fossil fuels in new buildings and renovations of city-owned property, reports Nish Amarnath in Smart Cities Dive. “Wu said the move will accelerate Boston’s goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050, with buildings accounting for more than 70% of the city’s total carbon emissions, and municipal emissions constituting 2.3% of all those emissions.”
The move could boost demand for low-emissions products and materials. “Wu’s office added that the executive order will pave the way for fresh employment prospects in building construction, design and maintenance.”
The rule applies to city properties, but also includes “a significant rule alteration regarding fossil fuel use in private projects.” Last month, Mayor Wu announced “a specialized climate-friendly state-specific stretch code that mandates new constructions, even those currently using natural gas, to be equipped for future all-electric functionality” that will go into effect in January 2024.
FULL STORY: Boston mayor bans fossil fuels in new city-owned buildings
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Journal of the American Planning Association