City of Delray Beach, Florida, passes a green building ordinance

The City of Delray Beach, Florida, recently passed a green building ordinance to tackle climate issues and reduce GHG emissions from the built environment. The ordinance passed in November 2022, and Delray Beach’s Office of Sustainability and Resilience hosted a webinar series in April 2023 to discuss features of the plan and its benefits for the community.

“We believe the new green building ordinance will provide lasting benefits for our residents and stakeholders and greatly improve their quality of life,” says City Manager Terrence Moore.

Reducing emissions to combat climate issues

The built environment contributes to over 30% of the annual global GHG emissions, with a 2019 GHG inventory finding that roughly 550,000 tons of eCO2 were produced by the City of Delray Beach from all sources. The city has set a goal of reducing its overall emissions by 50% by 2030, with an additional goal of achieving net zero by 2050.

To achieve these goals, Delray Beach is evaluating its construction standards for municipal buildings and is setting a new standard for the community.

Features of the green building ordinance

The Delray Beach ordinance cites four certification systems, including LEED, for use. Effective Nov. 1, 2023, all new buildings between 15,000 and 50,000 square feet must earn the minimum level of certification in a rating system, while buildings over 50,000 square feet must obtain a Silver level of certification. These standards do not apply to historic buildings or many renovations.

All municipal buildings must also certify under at least one of the four certification systems, regardless of size.

This ordinance sets a precedent for green building for the City of Delray Beach and encourages green building beyond the municipal sector. The ordinance will be reevaluated and readdressed every two years to make essential changes and to look at areas to improve community outreach, such as in electric vehicles and solar-ready programs.