Beginning on July 1st, 2025, Boston’s amended Zoning Article 37, Green Buildings and Net Zero Carbon standards will apply to projects submitting new Article 80 Small Project Review Applications, and Article 80B Project Notification Forms, and some Notice of Project Change filings. Key amendments include:
- Requirements for Net Zero Carbon (NZC) which limits building operational greenhouse gas emissions to zero for most building use types.
- Lowering the applicability threshold for NZC to include Article 80E Small Projects greater than 20,000 SF or 15 or more residential units.
- Requirements for embodied carbon Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) reporting for Article 80B Large Projects greater than 50,000 SF.
Please review Zoning Article 37, the Climate Change Review Policy, and the guidance below for additional information and specific requirements.
Article 37 Green Buildings & Net Zero Carbon & Climate Change Review
Zoning Article 37 (A37) and the Climate Change Review Policy (Resiliency Policy) ensure that Proposed Projects are designed, constructed, and managed to minimize and mitigate adverse environmental impacts; to promote sustainable development: and to minimize and mitigate the impacts of Greenhouse Gas Emissions.
All Proposed Projects subject to or electing to comply with Large Project Review (80B), Planned Development Area Review (80C), Institutional Master Plan Review (80D), or Small Project Review (80E) of the Zoning Code are subject to Article 37 Green Building and Net Zero Carbon and the Climate Change Review Policy requirements.
Article 37 submissions and compliance reviews align with the Article 80 Review process and occur at three project phases:
Initial Filing – included in the Small Project Review Applications, Project Notification Form, or Notice of Project Change filings prior to Board Approval
Design Filing – dedicated filing coinciding with final construction documents prior to Building Permit Issuance, and
Construction Completion Filing – dedicated filing prior to Certificate of Occupancy Issuance.
The Planning Department records A37 compliance with Boston Inspectional Services Department for the issuance of building and occupancy permits.
Submission Requirements
Resources
- Embodied Carbon LCA Reference Guide – provides additional descriptions and links to reference standards.
- A37 Carbon Emissions Carbon Calculator – provides key compliance calculations and analysis. - Coming Soon
The following documents are provided to guide and assist Development Teams comply with these regulations and policies:
Information
Templates
Examples
Zoning & Policy