Boston building owners face escalating pressure to meet stricter carbon emissions standards as the city’s Building Emissions Reduction and Disclosure Ordinance (BERDO 2.0) enters a critical phase. The ordinance, initially enacted in 2013 and significantly revised in 2021, now requires comprehensive reporting of energy and water consumption, as well as carbon emissions, from large buildings.
The updated BERDO 2.0 transforms the original reporting requirement into an enforceable performance standard, with financial consequences for non-compliance. Buildings 35,000 square feet or larger, along with residential buildings containing more than 15 units, are subject to the regulations. Specifically, residential buildings with over 35 units and non-residential buildings exceeding 35,000 square feet must adhere to emissions caps based on space classification, beginning in 2025.
The city’s Department of Environment is responsible for administering BERDO, with a dedicated email address (energyreporting@boston.gov) and phone line (617-635-3850 x5) for inquiries. Key deadlines are approaching, including the May 15th annual reporting deadline and a July 1st deadline for long-term hardship applications. Building owners must submit Building Portfolios and Individual Compliance Schedules by September 1, 2026, to address emissions from 2025.
To assist building owners, the city is offering several support resources. These include a BERDO Review Board, access to the Massachusetts Class I Renewable Energy Certificate (REC) Connector Program, and streamlined hardship compliance plans for under-resourced and equity priority building owners. Free expert services are available through the Building Decarbonization Advisor Program, and the city is providing data reporting and verification assistance to those who need it.
The ordinance aims to reduce air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, with a long-term goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. The city is encouraging building owners to purchase Massachusetts Class I RECs to meet compliance requirements, with a deadline of March 1st for access through the new connector program. The initial BERDO, inspired by New York City’s Local Law 84, focused on energy and water usage. BERDO 2.0 broadened the scope to include carbon emissions, mirroring a similar expansion in New York City with Local Law 97.
The city has not yet announced how it will respond to buildings that fail to meet the initial emissions standards in 2025 or 2030. The Boston City Council passed BERDO 2.0 in October 2021, but the full impact of the ordinance remains to be seen as the first compliance deadlines approach.
