New Santa Monica Building Performance Standards policy would help the city achieve its climate action goals
April 30, 2025 8:34 AM
by Nico Predock
Updated May 1, 2025.
Over the past two years, the city of Santa Monica’s Office of Sustainability and the Environment, or OSE, has been working with property owners and community members to develop a Building Performance Standards Policy that would require Santa Monica’s existing large buildings to meet energy use and/or greenhouse gas reductions over time.
The new policy, called the Clean and Healthy Existing Buildings Ordinance, or CHEBO, will be presented to the City Council this summer.
The Building Performance Standards Policy would improve and modernize the city’s existing large buildings by requiring gradual reductions in energy and fossil fuel use over time. These reduction targets would need to be met every five years beginning in 2031 for buildings greater than 50,000 square feet, and in 2036 for buildings greater than 20,000 square feet.
CHEBO is an essential part of Santa Monica’s work toward reducing citywide greenhouse gas emissions to 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2030 and achieving carbon neutrality by 2050.
In 2023, energy and fossil fuel use in existing buildings accounted for 33 percent of citywide greenhouse gas emissions, the second largest contributor after transportation. Reducing carbon emissions in existing buildings by improving energy efficiency and decreasing fossil fuel use is critical for the city to meet its climate action goals.
CHEBO would follow the goals and actions detailed in the Zero Net Carbon Buildings section of the city’s 2019 Climate Action and Adaptation Plan:
- Adopt a Carbon Reduction Ordinance for existing buildings over 20,000 square feet, including multifamily buildings.
- Require a reduction of fossil fuel use of large existing buildings by 15 percent in five years and elimination of fossil fuel use by 2050.
- Develop programs, resources and incentives to support gas-to-electric conversion of appliances, hot-water heaters and HVAC systems.
In addition to helping achieve building-sector climate action goals, improving energy performance of existing buildings brings additional benefits such as:
- Health and safety: Switching gas-burning appliances out for electric can improve indoor air quality.
- Cost/value: Installing higher-efficiency appliances and making behavioral changes to reduce energy use can increase the asset-value of buildings and reduce utility costs.
OSE will hold an online public meeting to share information and gather feedback on the Building Performance Standards Policy on May 8 from 4 to 5 p.m. Register here.
To learn more, and for details on other upcoming informational meetings, visit the Building Performance Standards Policy page.
Staff are tracking pending state legislation that may impact the city’s ability to adopt policies that affect residential buildings. If needed, the policy recommendation may be limited to commercial buildings.
Authored By
Nico Predock
Sustainability Analyst