Climate Change Laws and Legal Updates Toolkit (Commercial Real Estate) | Practical Law

Resources to assist counsel for commercial real estate developers, owners, and operators to ensure compliance with building emissions and energy efficiency laws and building codes designed to combat climate change. This Toolkit features Legal Updates highlighting developments in state and local jurisdictions' efforts to reduce building greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and improve building energy efficiency.

Climate Change Laws and Legal Updates Toolkit (Commercial Real Estate)

Practical Law Toolkit w-037-5988 (Approx. 8 pages)

Climate Change Laws and Legal Updates Toolkit (Commercial Real Estate)

by Practical Law Real Estate

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Maintained • USA (National/Federal)

Resources to assist counsel for commercial real estate developers, owners, and operators to ensure compliance with building emissions and energy efficiency laws and building codes designed to combat climate change. This Toolkit features Legal Updates highlighting developments in state and local jurisdictions' efforts to reduce building greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and improve building energy efficiency.

Federal, state, and local governments are introducing laws and programs requiring real property owners to develop, construct, and operate their properties in an energy efficient and environmentally sustainable manner. These laws and programs introduce environmental sustainability and energy efficiency goals, incentives, and requirements for commercial real property owners and operators, including:

Greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction goals.
Energy and water consumption reporting requirements.
Commercial property assessed clean energy (C-PACE) financing.
Energy efficiency requirements for new and existing buildings.
Green building certification and rating systems.

This Toolkit highlights Legal Updates covering developments in energy efficiency and GHG emissions laws and building codes in certain key states and local jurisdictions. This Toolkit also contains Practice Notes and Standard Clauses to help counsel for commercial real estate developers, owners, and operators understand and navigate energy efficiency and GHG emissions laws that affect the development and operation of commercial real property.

National Resources

Practice Notes

Legal Updates

CEQ Issues Interim Guidance for Agencies Consideration of Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Climate Change under NEPA (Jan. 11, 2023)
National and California Clean Energy Developments in Real Estate (Nov. 21, 2022)
What's the Deal? A Local Approach to the Green New Deal (May 6, 2019)
Moving Targets: Keeping Up with Changes in Green Building Certification (Nov. 6, 2018)
EPA's New Energy Star Score Models Under Review (Oct. 15, 2018)
United States Green Building Council Debuts Version 4.1 of its LEED Certification System (Mar. 29, 2018)
Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae Incentivize Multifamily Property Owners to Go Green (Dec. 20, 2017)
FHA to Stop Insuring Mortgages on Properties Subject to PACE Loans (Dec. 19, 2017)
Fannie Mae Revises Green Mortgage Loan Program (June 26, 2017)
FHA to Insure Mortgages with PACE Loans (Sept. 23, 2016)
Leaders Set Clear Energy Goals in North American Climate, Energy, and Environment Partnership (Aug. 2, 2016)
New Electricity Efficiency PEER Certification Program Offered for Commercial Real Estate (July 26, 2016)
USGBC Increases LEED 2009 Minimum Energy Performance Standards (Mar. 24, 2016)
BOMA Updates Energy Performance Contracting Model (Oct. 13, 2015)
Tenants Get Gold "Star" for Energy Efficiency (May 5, 2015)

State-Specific Resources

California

Practice Notes

Energy Usage Reporting and Disclosure Requirements (CA)

Standard Clauses

Legal Updates

National and California Clean Energy Developments in Real Estate (Nov. 21, 2022)
California Reinstates and Expands Streamlined CEQA Review to Promote Sustainable Development and Affordable Housing (May 27, 2021)
Solar Panel Mandate Approved by the California Energy Commission (June 5, 2018)
Owners of Large Commercial Properties Must Report Energy Usage Data by June 1, 2018 (CA) (May 22, 2018)
San Francisco Requires Solar Panel Installation on New Buildings (Apr. 26, 2016)
Changes to Energy Use Disclosure Law for Commercial Buildings and Multifamily Residences Signed in California (Nov. 4, 2015)

Florida

Legal Updates

Miami-Dade Mandates Minimum Electric Vehicle Parking Requirements for New Construction (July 3, 2019)

Illinois

Practice Notes

Chicago's Cooling Ordinance (Residential and Commercial Real Estate) (IL)

Legal Updates

City of Chicago Enacts New Air Conditioning Ordinance for Residential Buildings (July 5, 2022)

Massachusetts

Legal Updates

City of Boston Imposes Ambitious Emission Performance Standards on Existing Buildings (Oct. 15, 2021)

New Jersey

Legal Updates

Greenbaum Rowe: New Jersey Establishes C-PACE Program to Finance Eligible Commercial Renewable Energy Projects (Mar. 25, 2022)

New York

Legal Updates

New York State Bans Natural Gas in New Construction (May 3, 2023)
NYC Bans Natural Gas in New Buildings (Dec. 16, 2021)
NYC Adopts C-PACE Financing Rules for New Construction and Ground Leases (Oct. 21, 2021)
NYC Marches Forward with its own "Green New Deal" (Apr. 22, 2019)
NYC Plan for Compliance with the Paris Climate Agreement (Nov. 13, 2017)
New York Public Service Commission Issues Order to Implement Clean Energy Standard (Nov. 4, 2016)

Pennsylvania

Legal Updates

Pennsylvania Extends C-PACE Eligibility to Multifamily and Mixed-Use Properties (July 15, 2022)
Philadelphia City Council Passes Updated Energy Standards and Tax Abatement Reduction (Jan. 14, 2020)
Pennsylvania Offers Grants to Promote Solar Energy Use (Dec. 5, 2017)
Pennsylvania Limits Electric Utilities and Suppliers to In-State Solar Energy Sources (Nov. 16, 2017)