Building Emissions Performance Standard

Buildings are responsible for more than one-third of Seattle's greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and must be part of the solution to addressing climate change. To address these emissions, Seattle adopted a new Building Emissions Performance Standard (BEPS) law, which was unanimously approved by City Council and signed by Mayor Harrell on December 13, 2023.  

BEPS includes Benchmarking Verification and Greenhouse Gas Report requirements and sets emissions targets for existing nonresidential and multifamily buildings larger than 20,000 square feet. A building’s particular emissions targets and compliance deadlines are determined by the use and size of the building, and become gradually stronger every five years. Most buildings covered by BEPS should reach net-zero emissions in the 2040s, making it one of the most impactful climate actions the City of Seattle is taking to tackle the climate crisis.

The Office of Sustainability and Environment developed and is implementing BEPS. OSE is currently conducting a rulemaking process that will finalize BEPS compliance details ahead of the first deadlines in 2027. OSE is engaging partners and stakeholders in the meantime to ensure every building owner and manager is ready to comply with the new law.