Upcoming Advocacy Events

October 25-27: ASHRAE Decarbonization Conference for the Built Environment (Arlington, VA)

October 26-27: California Business Properties Strategic Issues Conference (Long Beach, CA)

December 6-9: Council of State Governments (Raleigh, NC)

January 28-31, 2024: Winter Business Meeting (Washington, DC)'

March 5-6, 2024: Public Policy Symposium (Washington, DC)

Leveraging Building Certification - International Newsletter

Across the globe, governments are mandating net-zero emissions. Ambitious governments are insisting that net-zero operations be achieved by 2030, while others call for 2040 or 2050. In all cases the task can be overwhelming, in some cases it may be unattainable.

The term net-zero itself is difficult to define. The most accepted meaning seems to be that net-zero emissions is achieved when human-caused emissions are balanced by human-caused removal of emissions over a specified time period. That raises many questions since emissions can refer to all greenhouse gas emissions or only carbon dioxide. Further, over the last few years, the “scope” of emissions has evolved to include emission from down the supply chain and may include emissions from materials, manufacturing, and transportation attributed to the final use. As we move closer to the net-zero deadlines, the issue that raises again and again is how do we demonstrate that a mode of transportation, a factory or a building is in fact moving toward net-zero. In the context of commercial real estate and building operations the starting point is focused on eliminating the use of any fossil fuel delivered energy and significant improvement to the efficiency of the building envelope.

To read the full story click HERE.

BOMA Participates in White House Roundtable on Net-Zero

BOMA International was at the table when the White House convened thought-leaders recently to discuss how the federal government will address the push for building decarbonization through net-zero targets. Vice President of Advocacy Don Davis and Director of State and Local Affairs Ken Rosenfeld took part in the session, which was held alongside the Greenbuild conference held this year in Washington, DC. The discussion was led by Heather Clark, Director for Building Emissions at the White House Climate Policy Office, and she was joined by senior officials from several federal agencies. The goal was to build consensus on a definition of net-zero and a national path toward decarbonization goals. As market drivers point toward net-zero goals, the White House has also issued an executive order that set targets concerning federal leases. BOMA is currently planning a webinar with our partners at the U.S. General Services Administration to address the executive order and how it affects commercial real estate.

Registration Open: BOMA Public Policy Symposium

Registration is now open for the BOMA International Public Policy Symposium: The Future of Distributed Energy Systems. The second-annual symposium will be held March 5-6, 2024, in Washington, D.C. Visit the Symposium webpage to register and plan to join us for a one-of-a-kind event focused on the future of energy. This year’s symposium will build on last year’s successful event on decarbonization, offering expertise on leading operational solutions to key energy challenges facing the industry and the country. The event will feature a series of sessions led by industry experts, a speaker from the Biden Administration, and a networking reception. Stay tuned for further details and contact Cameron Macuch (cmacuch@boma.org) with any questions.

New Resource: Electrification Policy Recommendations

The concept of encouraging or mandating building electrification has evolved rapidly from a niche concept among a few cities and proponents, to a mainstream sustainability goal discussed on national and global scales. The issue has quickly gained traction, even while key information has remained unknown. BOMA International has been at the forefront of filling this void by releasing two previous documents: a BOMA Policy Brief, “Building Electrification and Carbon Reduction,” which provides an overview of the opportunities and challenges along with examples of early public policies; followed by a groundbreaking 35-page study, “Electrification in Commercial Buildings,” which examines available technologies, the electric grid, regional differences, and relevant public policy and programs. Building on this new information, BOMA today is releasing another brief with a series of policy recommendations that can turn sustainability goals into reality. “Building Electrification: 10 Steps for a Balanced Approach” brings together the perspectives of commercial real estate, the federal government, state and local governments, and utilities, to chart a path forward. All three documents can be found here.

IDF Supports BOMA California Efforts to Protect Taxpayers

BOMA California is helping lead the charge in pushing back against an unprecedented and coordinated attack to end longtime taxpayer protections provided by California’s landmark Proposition 13. In the final weeks of the legislative session, the state assembly rushed through and passed ACA 13, setting up a referendum next year on a state constitutional amendment that would curtail voters’ ability to pass new taxpayer protection measures, making it easier for local governments to raise taxes and fees. This was specifically designed to derail the Taxpayer Protection Act referendum--championed by BOMA California and the California Business Properties Association--by increasing the number of votes it would need to pass. The Industry Defense Fund recently voted to match funds allocated by BOMA California in support of this fight. Further updates will be provided as the industry and partners organize to spread the message about this serious threat to California taxpayers and the precedent it would set for the rest of the country.

H.R.1491 Update

Fifteen days without a Speaker of the House, the Advocacy team was still hard as work on Capitol Hill meeting with Congressional and Senate staffers about the issues important to the Commercial Real Estate Industry.

Rep. Jim Jordan won the support of several key skeptics in the Republican conference Monday, bolstering momentum for his bid for speaker ahead of a planned floor vote on Tuesday. It's still unclear if the Ohio Congressman will have the votes to become Speaker.

This week H.R.1491 picked up four new co-sponsors Rep. Andrew Garbarino (R-NY), Rep. Brittany Pettersen (D-CO), Rep. Sean Casten (D-IL), and Rep. Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR). The Small Business Energy Loan Enhancement Act would expand the maximum allowable amount businesses may borrow through the U.S. Small Business Administration 504 loan program for energy efficient investments and upgrades. The 504/CDC program provides small businesses with long-term, fixed rate, low-cost loans that can be used to finance renovation and retrofit projects, as well as the purchase of major fixed assets, such as land, equipment, and machinery. Among the small businesses that will benefit from this legislation are commercial properties seeking to increase operational efficiency through capital-intensive investments, particularly older building stock. As this top priority now moves through the legislative and committee process, the support and help from BOMA membership is critical. We are asking that you take action through this Capitol Canary campaign link and amplify the messaging of BOMA International on social media, especially Twitter and LinkedIn. The BOMA International Twitter handle is @BOMAIntl. If you have questions or would like additional information, please contact Sam Lopez, Director of Federal Affairs, at slopez@BOMA.org.

Pictured here, Sam Lopez attended BOMA Florida's annual meeting where he gave an update on BOMA Advocacy's ongoing projects and priorities.

BOMAPAC Update

Griffin Oursler recently represented BOMA International at the Annual Ron Burton Golf Outing in St. Louis, Missouri where he connected with individuals from the codes community and discussed the newest topics within the industry. The Ron Burton Golf Outing celebrates the life and work of William Ronald “Ron” Burton. Ron was a renowned code expert who worked on many code-related projects for ICC, BOMA and the NAHB. Griffin also had the opportunity to take a walkthrough of the exhibit floor at the International Codes Conference.

Along with Sam, Griffin also attended BOMA Florida’s annual meeting where he operated the BOMA PAC booth. If you are interested in acquiring the limited edition BOMA trucker hat, please contact goursler@boma.org.