In support of the City's resiliency and carbon emissions reduction goals, including Carbon Neutral Boston 2050, the IGBC requires project proponents to assess carbon neutral building performance and include zero carbon strategies in their projects. Please review the Carbon Neutral Building Assessment and the review procedure documents below for additional details. Please utilize the online Climate Resiliency Checklist reporting form, Sea Level Rise - Flood Hazard Area mapping tool and Coastal Flood Resilience Design Guidelines in preparing Article 37 project filings.
Boston Zoning Code Article 37, Green Buildings (Article 37) and the Climate Resiliency - Review Policy Update (Resiliency Policy) ensure that major building projects are planned, designed, constructed, and managed to minimize adverse environmental impacts; conserve natural resources; are resilient to climate change; promote a more sustainable city; and enhance the quality of life in Boston. All proposed projects subject to or electing to comply with Zoning Article 80B, Large Project Review are subject to the requirements of Zoning Article 37 and the Resiliency Policy.
Article 37
Inserted into the Zoning Code in 2007, Article 37 requires all projects achieve at minimum the ‘certifiable’ level utilizing the most appropriate US Green Building Council Leadership in Environmental and Energy Design (LEED) Rating System(s). To successfully create a high-performance and sustainable building, it is essential that project teams utilize an integrated project delivery approach from the initial phases of the project. Research and practice demonstrate that integrated project teams deliver better projects, attain higher LEED, green, and resilient building outcomes, and do so within their project budgets. The City expects project proponents to start with a goal of achieving all possible LEED credits and to construct the highest performing and most resilient building feasible. Project proponents are also expected to fully leverage market forces and utilize all available utility, state, and federal energy efficiency, green building, and resiliency funding and technical assistance.
Resiliency Policy
The Resiliency Policy requires that all projects consider present and future climate conditions in assessing project environmental impacts, including carbon emissions, extreme precipitation, extreme heat, and sea level rise. Projects must identify building strategies that eliminate, reduce, and mitigate adverse impacts including those due to changing climate conditions.
The Resiliency Checklist provides a framework and specific resiliency targets for assessing project vulnerabilities and adverse impacts. Projects are to identify initial (first build) strategies for reducing vulnerabilities and adverse impacts AND future adaptation strategies for meeting or exceeding resiliency targets and further reducing vulnerabilities and adverse impacts due to future climate conditions.
Interagency Green Building Committee
Article 37 establishes the Interagency Green Building Committee (IGBC) to advise the Boston Planning and Development Agency (BPDA) and the Inspectional Services Department (ISD) on project compliance with the City's green building and climate resiliency policies and requirements. Compliance reviews occur at three project phases: Initial Filing, Design/Building Permit Filing, and Construction/Certificate of Occupancy Filing (see Review Procedures and Submittal Requirements). The BPDA and ISD rely on the IGBC’s review and advice for the approval of projects and the issuance of building permits and certificates of occupancy.
The following documents are provided below to guide and assist project proponents in complying with these regulations and policies. For your convenience and offline work, a Word version of the Climate Resiliency Checklist is included: