Washington, D.C. — A new report from the Center for American Progress shows how states are pioneering policies that create incentives for manufacturers of construction materials to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
The process of making building materials such as cement, iron, and steel is a major contributor to today’s climate crisis, with the industrial sector being responsible for 30 percent of direct and indirect domestic GHG emissions.
The report analyzes select state policies—including those from Colorado, Massachusetts, California, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Washington—that either require or incentivize decarbonization from industrial sectors related to the manufacturing of core construction and building materials such as iron, steel, and cement.
Based on these examples, the report recommends that states consider adopting the following policies:
- Set binding statutory targets and/or create cap-and-invest programs for industrial GHG reductions that are on track to reach net-zero emissions by 2050.
- Establish grant programs and tax incentives for industrial facilities to alleviate the costs associated with developing and implementing decarbonization and air pollution reduction technologies.
- Implement green public procurement programs such as Buy Clean to ensure demand for low-GHG emission construction and building materials and establish emission reporting requirements for products or facilities.
- Pair decarbonization policies with additional air pollution programs and environmental justice provisions.
- Pair all standards and incentives with policies that ensure the production of low-embodied carbon materials is creating and maintaining high-quality, union jobs.
Read the report: “State Efforts to Decarbonize Key Industrial Sectors” by Jamie Friedman, Mike Williams, Reema Bzeih, and Shelah Ott
For more information or to speak with an expert, please contact Sam Hananel at [email protected].