Preface
The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA), Pub. L. No. 117-169, was enacted in August 2022. The IRA made the single largest investment in climate and energy in American history. The IRA will help the United States tackle the climate crisis, advance environmental justice, and secure our nation’s position as a world leader in domestic clean energy manufacturing. This law puts the United States on a pathway to achieving the Administration’s climate goals, including a net zero operational emissions federal building portfolio by 2045, and net zero emissions procurement by 2050. IRA Section 60503 provides the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) with $2.15 billion for acquisition and installation of construction materials and products with substantially lower levels of embodied greenhouse gas emissions as compared to estimated industry averages, as determined by the Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). EPA issued its Interim Determination [PDF] in December 2022.
In line with the Interim Determination, and consistent with standard GSA and Federal Acquisition Regulation processes for defining agency requirements, GSA has developed these IRA low embodied carbon material requirements to specify some material attributes that are necessary to satisfy the agency’s needs when contracting for construction services that are funded in whole or in part by GSA’s IRA Low Embodied Carbon appropriation. These IRA low embodied carbon material requirements apply to Section 60503-funded purchases of four key construction materials: concrete (and cement), asphalt, steel, and glass. Construction product assemblies (such as window assemblies or rebar-reinforced concrete) qualify for IRA funding if at least 80% of the assembly’s total cost or total weight comprises materials that meet these requirements. These IRA low embodied carbon material requirements do not apply to all procurements and only apply after a contracting officer exercises their discretion to incorporate IRA Section 60503-qualifying materials or products into a procurement contract. Additionally, these IRA LEC materials requirements do not supersede existing laws such as the Buy American Act of 1933 or the Trade Agreements Act of 1979. All materials and products procured for GSA projects must meet these laws. For IRA Section 60503-funded procurements, existing trade-related laws will be applied first, then GSA’s IRA LEC material requirements will be applied.
For reference, find the interim version of the IRA LEC material requirements [PDF - 145 KB] from May 16, 2023.
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U.S. General Services Administration