On Aug. 16, 2022, President Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act into law, marking a historic commitment to build a new clean energy economy and tackle the climate crisis.
The historic law authorizes the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Recovery and Emergency Act to provide financial assistance for costs associated with low-carbon construction materials and net-zero energy projects. These funds support FEMA’s 2022-2026 Strategic Plan goal of leading “whole of community in climate resilience” and encourage state, tribal, territories, and local partners to make strategic investments to build climate-resilient communities.
These clean, climate-resilient considerations are applicable to materials through FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP), HMGP Post Fire Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC), Pre-Disaster Mitigation and Public Assistance (PA) Programs.
Read more about the Implementation of Low-Carbon Materials .
Read more about the Implementation of Net-Zero Energy Projects
FEMA's Role
The Inflation Reduction Act authorizes FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Assistance and Public Assistance programs to provide financial assistance to build cleaner, climate resilient infrastructure.
Public Assistance projects utilizing low-carbon materials or net-zero energy must be connected to eligible PA work that addresses damage caused by a declared disaster. Projects utilizing low-carbon materials or net-zero energy under FEMA’s mitigation grant programs must have a tie to eligible hazard mitigation work that addresses risk and reduces suffering from disasters.
Low Carbon Construction Materials
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) defines low-carbon materials as construction materials and products that "have substantially lower levels of embodied greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with all relevant stages of production, use, and disposal, as compared to estimated industry averages of similar materials or products."
The low-carbon construction materials that may be eligible for FEMA funding include concrete, asphalt, glass, and steel that have a Global Warming Potential (GWP) lower than the estimated industry average for similar products made in North America, as demonstrated by their Environmental Product Declaration (EPD). Any increased cost due to using low-carbon materials in FEMA projects are eligible for reimbursement at the applicable cost-share for the project.
FENA encourages applicants to utilize low-carbon materials with Environmental Product Declarations for the following:
- Concrete
- Asphalt
- Glass
- Steel
Projects with Net-Zero Energy
A net-zero-energy building produces enough renewable energy to meet its own annual energy consumption requirements, thereby reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the building sector. Any increased cost due to using net-zero energy building practices in FEMA projects are eligible for reimbursement at the applicable cost-share for the project.
Co-Benefits of Implementing Net-Zero Energy Projects:
Net-zero energy buildings offer many benefits, including:
- Reduced energy costs
- Positive environmental impact
- Reliable and affordable operations
- Improved energy security
Tools and Resources
- Public Assistance Funding: Low-Carbon Materials Fact Sheet
- Reducing Our Carbon Footprint - Implementing the Inflation Reduction Act
- Introduction to Low-Carbon Materials in Public Assistance
- Inflation Reduction Act for State, Local, Territorial and Tribal Partners
- Asphalt Demonstration
- Glass Demonstration
- Concrete Demonstration
- Steel Demonstration
Learn about other ways FEMA is addressing climate change.
Contact Us
For more information on the Inflation Reduction Act, email fema-climate@fema.dhs.gov.