Decarbonizing the Built Environment: Aligning Standards, Incentives and Market Behavior
Ginger Scoggins is a mechanical engineer and Founding Partner of Engineered Designs, Inc. In addition to running her firm, Ginger is heavily involved in ASHRAE (American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-conditioning engineers), becoming the first female president of the chapter, the first female Regional Vice-chair, and the first female Director & Regional Chair for the Region. Ginger is a Presidential Member of ASHRAE.
Nathan Bessette is the Vice President of Technical Services at Southface, where he drives innovation and growth through professional services and technical assistance. With a background in manufacturing, consulting, and operations, he ensures high-value outcomes for clients. Nathan leverages his Mechanical Engineering and MBA degrees to support strategy, innovation, marketing, and entrepreneurship, launching programs that promote sustainability in the built environment.
Ed Akins is a dedicated Registered Architect and former Tenured Associate Professor, focused on advancing sustainability in architectural practice and education. With expertise in urban planning, adaptive reuse, mixed-use development, and sustainable design, Ed has held leadership roles in architectural firms, the AIA, and academia. He earned a Master of Architecture from Georgia Tech and is the first recipient of the John Busby Award for education and service to the AIA (Atlanta).
Alexander J. Bandza is an environmental and energy attorney with experience in litigation, regulatory counseling, and renewable energy project development. He advises manufacturers and trade associations on energy efficiency standards and rulemakings, and supports projects from community solar to carbon capture by securing environmental permits and regulatory approvals across federal and state levels.
As the construction and real estate sectors grapple with the urgent need to reduce carbon emissions, a diverse panel of experts—Ginger Scoggins (Engineered Designs), Nathan Bessette (Southface Institute), Ed Akins (cove) and Alex Bandza (Barnes & Thornburg)—shed light on how evolving codes, financial tools and industry practices are shaping the transition toward climate-aligned buildings. Though fragmented regulations and entrenched practices pose barriers, the conversation highlighted actionable levers—ranging from local policy and ASHRAE standards to federal incentives and industry culture—that can drive meaningful progress across the Southeast and beyond.
Evolving Standards and the Role of ASHRAE
ASHRAE is advancing the technical foundation for building decarbonization with standards like 90.1, 100, and the proposed 240P, which increasingly incorporate both operational and embodied carbon metrics. One speaker, who has worked closely with ASHRAE, emphasized that these standards are setting the pace for code updates and investment-grade certifications. However, their impact is limited by the slow, consensus-based development process and the voluntary nature of adoption in many jurisdictions. The panelists agreed that while ASHRAE is creating critical technical tools, alignment with real-world timelines is necessary to match the speed of development cycles. As another panelist noted, designers and cities alike need guidance they can act on today—not just long-term roadmaps.
Incentives Are Outpacing Codes in Driving Change
The panelists consistently pointed to federal incentives—particularly from the Inflation Reduction Act—as game-changers in shaping the economics of sustainable buildings. Programs like 45L, 179D, and the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund are now encouraging developers to exceed minimum standards in pursuit of enhanced financing. One panelist shared a case study in which financial requirements tied to net-zero performance entirely reshaped a building’s design. As interest rates rise, these subsidies are becoming even more essential to project feasibility. According to another panelist, incentives are not just accelerating compliance—they are actively moving the market ahead of policy, especially in regions where code updates remain politically or administratively stalled. These financial levers are helping turn the aspiration of climate-aligned buildings into practical, bankable projects.
Local Action and Community Advocacy Fill Gaps
While federal and state regulations remain inconsistent, local governments and grassroots advocates are stepping up. Cities like Decatur and counties like Gwinnett have implemented their own building performance standards, often leading the way in sustainability adoption. Yet, one speaker cautioned that many municipalities lack the resources to create or enforce robust codes.
Organizations like the Atlanta Regional Commission play a vital intermediary role, offering templates and training that amplify local efforts.
Community design boards are also shifting expectations by prioritizing electrification and cleaner infrastructure, which in turn shapes developer behavior. The panel agreed that while bottom-up change cannot replace national policy, it is proving to be a powerful accelerator at the regional level.
Culture, Education and Innovation Remain Key to Adoption
Despite the momentum from standards and incentives, cultural inertia in the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) sectors continues to slow adoption of cleaner technologies. The panelists shared stories of resistance to proven solutions like heat pumps and reluctance to address lifecycle carbon. One speaker emphasized the importance of demonstration projects—such as ASHRAE’s own building retrofit—as vital for shifting professional mindsets. Meanwhile, student and community activism is bringing new urgency to pollution and energy equity conversations. Technological innovation—from hydrogen appliances to cold-climate heat pumps—is rapidly expanding the toolkit, but without parallel shifts in workforce education and valuation models, deployment will remain uneven.
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