New York State’s Buy Clean Concrete Mandate

As part of New York State’s commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, an official order limiting emissions from concrete mixes has been adopted. This rule will be applied to state-funded projects involving public buildings and transportation.

The mandate, also known as the Buy Clean Concrete guidance, will consist of three phases that will be rolled out over the next four years. In order to show compliance, Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs), which are reports that show environmental metrics such as Global Warming Potential (GWP), will be required.

In Phase 1, which will run from January 1 through December 31, 2024, projects exceeding certain thresholds will need to submit EPDs, but they will not be required to meet the state GWP limits for concrete during this phase. In Phase 2, beginning in 2025, the state GWP limits will become mandatory. The reference for these emission limits will be 150% of the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association’s (NRMCA) baseline (measured in kg CO₂ equivalents) for concrete mix emissions in the New York region.

The Buy Clean Concrete guidelines will apply to projects involving:

1. Contracts with state agencies that include quantities of concrete greater than 50 cubic yards and that are worth over $1 million
2. Contracts with the Department of Transportation that include quantities of concrete greater than 200 cubic yards and that are worth over $3 million

Projects related to emergency activities and those using high-strength and quick-cure concrete will be exempt from the mandate so that they can proceed as scheduled.

The GWP limits from Phase 2 will eventually become more restrictive in Phase 3, in the year 2027. In the years following that, GWP limits will be lowered further, which will result in progressive emissions reduction.

To learn more about the Buy Clean Concrete mandate and how your projects can comply with the upcoming guidelines, contact Walden at 516-758-1273. We are closely tracking climate-related regulatory changes in the state; check back in with our blog to read about the latest developments!