Biden administration officials are rolling out a new product-labeling program they say will ease efforts by contractors and project owners to identify and use more low-carbon construction materials and products on federal projects.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said Aug. 7 that the new "environmental product declaration" labeling program—established under the Inflation Reduction Act—aims to cut climate emissions linked to production of construction materials, which contribute more than 15% of annual global greenhouse gas emissions. The program provides methodology and data to define what “clean” materials are and develops a tiered rating system that recognizes the most innovative solutions, EPA said.
The program will be phased in to implement the administration’s Buy Clean initiative, initially launched via a presidential executive order in December 2021.
Michael Freedhoff, EPA assistant administrator for chemical safety and pollution prevention, said in a statement that labeling products like low embodied-carbon concrete, glass and steel “will accelerate demand for these materials and continue to build the clean energy economy.”
The $100-million program will prioritize products—steel, glass, asphalt and concrete—that have the greatest decarbonization potential and that represent the majority bulk of construction materials and products U.S. agencies purchase using federal funds, according to EPA. About 50% of all concrete used in the U.S. each year is for federally funded projects, the agency says.
The announcement follows EPA’s selection in July of 38 organizations to receive a total of nearly $160 million to support business efforts to develop environmental product declarations. Grant recipients include the National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association, Portland Cement Association, American Wood Council, Atlas Roofing Corp. as well as cement and concrete manufacturer Holcim and several universities.
The types and scope of projects vary. Portland Cement Association will receive more than $2.4 million to lead a project to improve declaration quantity and quality, developed in partnership with the American Coal Ash Association, Natural Pozzolan Association and Slag Cement Association. The groups say the project will significantly boost the number of facility-specific declarations for cementitious materials that will upgrade the quality of information available for consumers.
The 2022 Inflation Reduction Act provides $350 million overall to support EPA efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from construction materials, and also earmarks $2 billion to the U.S. General Services Administration to use clean materials in construction and renovation of federal buildings and $2 billion to the Federal Highway Administration to incentivize or reimburse use of clean construction materials in transportation projects.
“The use of lower carbon materials that have the durability of conventional materials while lowering greenhouse gas emissions, is one pathway [the agency] is pursuing to help achieve President Biden’s goal of net-zero emissions by 2050,” Hari Kalla, FHWA associate administrator for infrastructure, said in a statement.
