The BEUDO the Municipal Code of the City of Cambridge be amended in Chapter entitled “Emission Reduction Requirements"

(a) For non-residential New Covered Properties of 100,000 Covered Square Feet or greater, that apply for their Building Permit prior to January 1, 2025, Greenhouse Gas Emissions shall not exceed 80% of the Baseline in the fourth year after the Baseline period or 2026, whichever is later. Thereafter, the New Covered Property shall reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions in three-year Compliance Periods that achieve a linear reduction to zero Greenhouse Gas Emissions in 2035, except no such New Covered Property shall exceed zero Greenhouse Gas Emissions in 2035 and onwards.

(b) For non-residential New Covered Properties of less than 100,000 Covered Square Feet, and residential New Covered Properties that are not fully held in Condominium or Cooperative ownership, that apply for their Building Permit prior to January 1, 2025, Greenhouse Gas Emissions shall not exceed 80% of the Baseline in the years 2030 to 2034, 60% of the Baseline in the years 2035 to 2039, 40% of the Baseline in the years 2040 to 2044, 20% of the Baseline in the years 2045 to 2049, and zero in 2050 and onwards.

(c) All non-residential New Covered Properties that apply for their Building Permit on or after January 1, 2025, or onwards, shall reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions in one-year Compliance Periods that achieve a linear reduction to zero Greenhouse Gas Emissions in 2030, except no such New Covered Property shall exceed zero Greenhouse Gas Emissions in 2030 and onwards.

(d) For purposes of this Section 8.67.100(3), the date of the Building Permit application shall be the date of the latest submission required to complete the application for the building permit for the property in question.

(e) For all non-residential New Covered Properties that are not subject to the fossil fuel restrictions in the Fossil Fuel-Free Demonstration Ordinance (research laboratories for scientific or medical research, hospitals and medical offices regulated by the department of public health as a health care facility as defined in 225 CMR 24.00), and that apply for their Building Permit on or after January 1, 2025, the following exemptions shall apply, notwithstanding other provisions in this Ordinance to the contrary:

1) Until December 31, 2030, greenhouse gas emissions resulting from the combustion of certain low-carbon or no-carbon non-fossil fuels (Alternative Fuels) shall not count towards the annual greenhouse gas emissions total for the Covered Property when used in combustion heating systems on days when the high temperature does not exceed 8 (eight) degrees Fahrenheit (Coldest Days), provided that such Alternative Fuels have a lower life-cycle greenhouse gas (CO2 equivalent) emissions profile than available fossil fuels.

The Assistant City Manager for Community Development (Department) shall promulgate

regulations pursuant to 8.67.130 no later than December 31, 2024 identifying qualified Alternative Fuels, and annually after that. If the Department determines that no qualified Alternative Fuels are available during a given annual Compliance Period, this exemption may be applied to fossil fuels used for heating a building on Coldest Days. This exemption may be extended by amendment if the City Council determines that no economically viable alternatives will be reasonably available by December 31, 2030.

2) The use of Verified Carbon Credits as detailed in Section 8.67.100(5) shall be permitted for Covered Properties of less than 100,000 Covered Square Feet that meet the requirements in 8.67.100(3)(e) above.

The amendments to this Section 8.67.100(3) are effective as of January 1, 2024. Completed building permit applications submitted prior to the effective date of the amendments to this Section 8.67.100(3) shall not be subject to the requirements of the amendments.

Passed to a second reading at the City Council meeting held on December 4, 2023 and on or after December 18, 2023 the question comes on passage to be ordained.

Attest:- Diane P. LeBlanc

City Clerk