California's Sweeping Climate Change Initiative Will – Eventually – Have Profound Impacts on the Built Environment

Summary

National governments globally are struggling to enact legislation that will bind them to the world's carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets, and unfortunately in some cases even reach consensus on the scope and scale of the climate crisis—let alone deciding what must be done. But thanks to a massive new piece of recent legislation, California has stepped squarely into the global climate leadership void by pledging to become entirely carbon neutral by 2045. An aggressive goal, to be sure, that will have dramatic repercussions for the Golden State's built environment over the next few decades. This article provides an overview of what has been dubbed the "California Climate Commitment," highlighting the components of the legislation that will most impact construction, real estate, and infrastructure in the world's fifth largest economy.