Over 25 Years of Leadership
The City of Seattle has been a leader in improving energy efficiency and reducing municipal building emissions for more than 25 years. The City’s efforts have shown that reducing energy and emissions is practical and cost-effective, even for old or unique buildings. Read more about the City’s past efforts below.
2000
Sustainable Buildings Policy Implemented
The Sustainable Buildings Policy becomes the first green building policy in the nation and requires buildings to meet LEED Silver. The policy creates a set of requirements that new or substantially altered City-owned buildings, as well as tenant improvements, must follow.
2011
Sustainable Buildings Policy Strengthened
To remain a leader, the City strengthens the Sustainable Buildings Policy, now requiring LEED Gold and adding additional energy, water, and waste requirements. The policy requires applicable buildings to achieve LEED Gold, beyond code energy and water efficiency, and high construction waste diversion rates.
2013
Resource Conservation Management Plan Launches
The Resource Conservation Management Plan (RCMP) begins guiding the City’s municipal energy and emissions reduction efforts. The RCMP aims to improve energy efficiency and establishes a coordinated approach to reducing energy use across the City’s buildings, outlining the actions necessary to meet the goal of achieving a 20% reduction in energy use by 2020.
2016
Municipal Building Tune-Ups Start
Alongside the Building Tune-Ups Ordinance, the City requires municipal buildings to meet the first cycle requirements for Building Tune-Ups one year in advance of most other buildings. 28 large City-owned buildings will go on to comply early, increasing the City’s energy savings and reducing costs.
2019
Resource Conservation Management Plan Meets Goal
The Resource Conservation Management Plan meets its goal of reducing energy use by 20% a year ahead of schedule.
2020
Advancing a Green New Deal for Seattle
Seattle furthers its Green New Deal efforts with Executive Order 2020-01, which directs OSE to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions from municipal buildings and develop a building performance standard. This work leads to the Municipal Buildings Decarbonization Plan and the Building Emissions Performance Standard.
2023
Resource Conservation Management Plan Continues Impact
The Resource Conservation Management Plan continues to make an impact, generating a 27% reduction in energy use and a 26% reduction in emissions against a 2008 baseline. This amounts to $4 million per year in avoided energy utility costs.
2024
More than 50 LEED Projects Completed
After more than two decades, the Sustainable Buildings Policy continues to reduce energy and emissions in City-owned buildings. See the list of completed projects here.
2025
Municipal Buildings Decarbonization Plan Launches
The Municipal Buildings Decarbonization Plan charts a course towards eliminating fossil fuels from City-owned buildings by 2042.