Envisioning the year ahead, constructively
Updated January 16, 2021, 2:30 a.m.
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Buildings must be a top priority in carbon-free goals
In the editorial boardâs annual New Yearâs Day preview (âLooking ahead to 2021: What you can expect the editorial board to cover this yearâ), there is a promise to keep an eye on the Biden administrationâs work in numerous areas, including efforts to âslash carbon emissions from the electricity, transportation, and agriculture sectors.â What about slashing carbon emissions from the built environment?
In the state climate bill, there were important provisions to expedite a net-zero building stretch code, which would give cities and towns the option of requiring new construction and major retrofits to meet higher efficiency standards. Lawmakers sent the bill to Governor Baker at the end of their legislative session, and without the option to send it back to the Legislature with proposed changes, Baker vetoed it Thursday, citing the opt-in stretch code as a problem, among other issues.