Environmental Concerns

A. Environmental Impacts: While AB 306 does not repeal existing green building standards, it does limit innovation severely and the ability of local governments to reduce emissions and fossil fuel use. In 2019, buildings (both residential and commercial) generated 25% of California’s greenhouse gasses, the second largest source of emissions behind transportation[1]. This statistic, if considered, would offer legislators an opportunity to reduce emissions by promoting investment in sustainable infrastructure and building practices. To the contrary, AB 306 halts all local ability to invest in sustainable building standards, leaving technological advancements unused and allowing continuous emissions of greenhouse gasses. Further, AB 306 forces California to be dependent, investing in fossil fuels without foresight. According to Stanford University's Pathways to Carbon Neutrality in California (2022) report, 5% of energy savings in existing homes would amount to 10 years’ worth of new net-zero residential construction[2]. However, it is important to remember that a building is not just a building; it’s an energy commitment that lasts for decades. Under AB 306, electrification (the process of replacing fossil fuel dependent systems and appliances with electric ones) is restricted locally for the next six years. This restriction means that new buildings, the ones that will shape our future cities and communities, will still be built with inefficient fossil fuel systems and appliances. Even if California achieves better sustainability guidelines that are enacted into law in 40 years, the buildings built in this six year period will still depend on fossil fuels, costing our cities far more. It is in the state’s best interest to build with a green standard code, as these buildings will be the cornerstones of future cities. To its credit, AB 306 does include the International Wildland-Urban Interface Code and modifications for home hardening to the “model code.” However, while these measures do protect the lives and homes of families from fire, the Green Policy Initiative believes that these measures fail to address the root cause of these fire concerns: climate change. The Green Policy Initiative wants California to do more than just mitigate damages; it wants proactive and preventative climate action.

B. Lack of Mitigation Measures: Despite the aforementioned environmental concerns, AB 306 lacks and ignores key environmental damage mitigation measures, such as environmental impact reports and climate action targets. With regard to environmental reports, AB 306 undermines the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), which helps to ensure that new building standards and construction projects don’t harm the environment. In doing so, CEQA requires the quantification of environmental impacts, helping cities justify and align their projects with their regional climate action goals. AB 306, by preventing cities from updating their green building standards code until after June 2031, may directly interfere with CEQA compliance and will obstruct proven, beneficial local building standard modifications. In addition, AB 306 jeopardizes many of California’s set climate action goals. As of 2024, California was not on track to achieve its mission to emit 40% less in 2030 then in 1990[3]. However there is hope according to David Clergen, an Air Resources Board spokesman, who emphasizes the importance of green building standards and states that “it is more important than ever to transition existing facilities, and build clean energy infrastructure”(Lazo). In other words, AB 306, by restricting local government from adopting green building standards, may halt both regional and state sustainability goals and throw California further off track.