Are You Ready for California’s Stronger Carbon-Free Building Codes?
By Sara Motamedi
California is on a bold path toward a carbon-free grid by 2045 — and that means the rules for buildings are getting tougher, sooner than you might think.
California’s updated Energy Code (Building Energy Efficiency Standards, Title 24, Part 6) will take effect on January 1, 2026. With a stronger emphasis on decarbonization, the new code introduces embodied carbon reduction requirements for a significant portion of commercial buildings. It also includes updated calculation methods for battery storage and ventilation, as well as new provisions for double-door entrances in lobbies.
Many people still associate CO₂ emissions only with burning gas or fossil fuels to power buildings and vehicles. While that’s partly true, it doesn’t tell the whole story — because CO₂ emissions occur at multiple stages throughout a building’s entire life cycle.
We’re all familiar with operational carbon: the greenhouse gas emissions from the energy used to run a building. This is the carbon you see reflected on your utility bills, and it has been tracked and reduced for years through better efficiency and renewable energy. California’s building codes keep tightening to cut energy consumption further, requiring solar PV systems and pushing for 50–100% net-zero energy (NZE) commercial buildings in the near future.
But there’s another, often-overlooked part of the carbon story: embodied carbon. This refers to the greenhouse gases emitted during the production, transport, installation, maintenance, and disposal of building materials — the carbon embedded in the materials themselves.
Here’s the big news: California began requiring embodied carbon studies for many commercial buildings in 2024, and these requirements are set to become even stricter in 2025. California is leading the nation as the first state to regulate embodied carbon, making it essential for builders, designers, and owners to plan accordingly.
So — are you ready?
As California leads the way to a carbon-free future, understanding and addressing both operational and embodied carbon is no longer optional. Preparing for these stronger codes now will help you stay ahead of the curve and deliver buildings that meet tomorrow’s standards — today.
