In the District of Columbia, buildings are the single largest contributor (73%) to citywide greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Greenhouse gasses, which include a wide range of gases, trap heat in the atmosphere, increasing the average temperature and causing climate change. Therefore, achieving the sustainability, energy, and climate goals of the District requires a heavy focus on how the building stock is performing. As part of the Clean Energy DC Act of 2018, the District adopted Building Energy Performance Standards (BEPS), which set minimum levels of energy performance for large, existing buildings. BEPS, in concert with codes for new construction, will help reduce GHG emissions in the District’s large buildings, which in turn will help the District progress towards meeting its goals of reducing emissions by 50% by 2032 and becoming carbon neutral by 2050.
