On Jan. 26, 2023, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) solicited public input to inform two new Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) programs creating standards and labeling for construction materials that have “substantially lower levels of embodied greenhouse gas emissions.” Section 60112 of the IRA appropriates $250 million for grants and technical assistance to manufacturers, States, Indian Tribes, and nonprofits for activities related to “measuring, reporting, and steadily reducing the quantity of embodied carbon of construction materials and products.” Section 60116 appropriates an additional $100 million for EPA to work with the Federal Highway Administration and the General Services Administration to identify and label “lower-embodied carbon” construction materials used in highway construction and federal buildings.
EPA will hold three webinars in March and April to receive input from stakeholders:
- March 2, 2023 – Reducing Embodied Greenhouse Gas Emissions Prioritization and Environmental Data Improvement
- March 22, 2023 – Reducing Embodied Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Grants and Technical for Environmental Product Declarations
- April 19, 2023 – Reducing Embodied Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Carbon Labeling
Written comments are due May 1, 2023, and should respond to questions in a Request for Information document found in the EPA docket (EPA-HQ-OPPT-2022-0924).