Portland has one of the most innovative local government programs in the US for addressing the impacts of embodied carbon on the climate crisis. Their work in this area spans internal pilot projects, deconstruction requirements, adaptive reuse of buildings, and green building policies aimed at reducing embodied carbon in new construction.

In 2024, the Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainbility made detailed recommendations that City staff and area partners can take to reduce the embodied carbon of buildings. This recommendation comes after years of piloting, program implementation, and ongoing data tracking done by the City.

The City of Portland's webpage includes...

Explanation and definition of embodied carbon

City policies addressing embodied carbon

Additional resources for embodied carbon management