The Seattle 2030 District

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Mayor McGinn and the entire City Council have signed on to make the City a Founding Member of the Seattle 2030 District, an alliance of building owners, building industry professionals, utilities and local governments that are coming together to create a model high performance building district in downtown Seattle.  The goal of the Seattle 2030 District is to reach the following targets by 2030:

  • In existing buildings, reduce energy and water use by 50% below the national average.
  • For new buildings and major renovations, reduce energy use by 60% and water use by 50% below the national average, and achieve carbon neutrality by 2030.
  • Reduce greenhouse gas emissions from auto and freight traffic within the District by 50% by 2030.

The City is committing to participate in this ambitious set of goals by:

  •  Investing in energy and water efficiency for City-owned facilities consistent with these goals.
  • Sharing building information, best practices, and lessons learned.
  • Using the Seattle 2030 District’s assessment tools and technical assistance.
  • Participating in the 2030 District Committee’s decision making and mentoring other 2030 District members.

The existing and projected building stock is one of the largest generators of greenhouse gas emissions.  It is also an area where Seattle has significant expertise and commitment.  Through concepts like the Seattle 2030 District, this area can be a great opportunity to achieve significant greenhouse gas reductions relatively quickly, while at the same time saving money and improving our competitive economic position.  This work will create jobs in Seattle and support an export strategy which can reap economic dividends by marketing Seattle’s technical expertise in design, modeling, construction, and building operation.

The Seattle 2030 District is an innovation that is being pioneered by the private sector.  The goal of the founders is to make the business case for sustainability by creating on-the-ground success stories that show how high-performance buildings are both technically feasible and economically profitable.  The City can be an important partner in this effort, which will make a major contribution to our own carbon reduction strategy.