Clean Construction

Construction powers progress, but it must evolve.
While necessary to development, the construction sector contributes heavily to climate change, accounting for a major share of the 42% of global emissions from the built environment.

The Clean Construction Platform

USGBC California, in collaboration with leaders from AEC (architecture, engineering, and construction), real estate, government, and utilities, created the Clean Construction Platform, a collaborative ecosystem focused on:

• Sharing knowledge & best practices

• Driving innovation in construction sustainability

• Reducing pollution through real-world implementation

Together, we’re shaping a cleaner, more resilient California, and the United States.

Created by contractors, for contractors, this industry benchmark defines what it means to be a green contractor, whether you’re just getting started or improving existing sustainability practices.

5 Core Focus Areas:

• Carbon Reduction

• Jobsite Wellness

• Waste Management

• Water Management

• Material Selection

Join to track your progress, gain public recognition, and access real tools for low-impact building.

Learn More About the Commitment

Download the 1-Page Flyer

Signatories

An Impact Felt Across the Nation

Beginning as the Electrified Construction Coalition, this practice area is focused on advancing the deployment and utilization of electric and zero-emission off road equipment.

What we’re Interested About

• Raise awareness on the use case benefits, showcase the evolution in equipment performance, and offer a platform for stakeholders to connect and seek out solutions.
• Navigating the steps in securing the power necessary to deploy electric construction equipment including utilizing temporary power solutions and charging solutions.
• Case studies and insight from projects that have used equipment.
• View the USGBC-CA Electrified Construction Coalition program flyer.

Create Outcomes

• Are you an equipment manufacturer or operator? Would you be interested in partnering around a case study?

See Past Events

Evolving in real time, the strategies in this practice area have the potential to yield immense carbon reduction from construction. 

Leading Roundtables, Advocacy and Resource Development to Advance:

• use of low and ultra-low carbon materials, nature-based solutions, and locally manufactured materials.
• the benefits of utilizing performance-based specifications over prescriptive-based specifications.
• interior design with low-carbon materials
• adaptive reuse, conversions, and repositioning
• design for disassembly and design for deconstruction
• circularity strategies across the supply chain
• C&D waste practices – best practices and strategies to reduce the waste generated and divert or reuse the waste that is generated. 

Create Outcomes

• Support implementation of Buy Clean CA – EPD-based procurement for carbon steel rebar, flat glass, mineral wool board insulation, and structural steel.
• Do you have a project scheduled for demolition? Partner with a cohort of motivated stakeholders to assess your building’s capacity for disassembly and deconstruction.
• Are you an AEC expert or materials innovator? → Learn about and pilot innovative building technologies and materials through our Net Zero Accelerator, innovation showcases, design charrettes, or pilot projects.

 Publications & Content

• Wood Products Materials Showcase at the California Green Building Conference (May 2025)
• Cement & Concrete Ready Mix Materials Showcase at the California Green Building Conference (May 2025)
• Roundtable Discussion: Exploring Engineered Wood (Video) (February 2025)
• Sustainable Concrete: How to Reduce, Quantify, and Specify Carbon (Video) (October 2024)
• Key Takeaways and Video of the Clean Concrete Roundtable (March 2024)
• Innovating Highway Design for Environmental and Community Benefit (Design & Development Report) (September 2022)
• Decarbonizing Construction (White Paper) (August 2022)

Our Construction Committee provides a space for collaboration to advance sustainability in construction for the greater California region through education, leadership, and access to resources.

Attend a Construction Committee meeting!

Present to the Construction Committee!

Leadership:

Chair:

Advisors:

Board Liaison:

Watch previous recordings here!

Occurring annually, the Conference offers stakeholders an opportunity to engage with clean construction both in the expo hall, and in the educational sessions. 

• The expo hall features a Clean Construction Pavilion and includes a variety of exhibitors:
  • Construction material manufacturers
  • Construction equipment manufacturers
  • Other technologies like heat pump, induction stoves, etc.
  • Proven practitioners such as AEC firms
• Amidst the sessions, thought leaders and experienced professionals share insight and best practices.
• There’s Happy Hour, Keynote Speakers, and awards including the Material Impact Award and Market Transformation Award.

View the 2025 California Green Building Conference

Save a Spot for 2026

USGBC California and its collective ecosystem include many different facets of sustainability which creates a diverse set of opportunities, and in different ways, those activities connect back to the Clean Construction Platform including: 

Training and Workforce Development

• Embodied Carbon Fundamentals
• Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Environmental Product Declarations Development
• Extreme Heat & Wildfire Defense Certifications for Construction Professionals
• Professionals Directory

Other Technologies & Regional Considerations

• Building decarbonization & refrigerant management.
• Prefab, modular construction, and mass timber.
• Commercial water reuse
• Onsite organics recycling
• Net Zero Accelerator companies and solutions.

See our publications, resources, and content 

• Easy Electric Equipment Deployment with California CORE (Video) (August 2025)
• Wood Products Materials Showcase at the California Green Building Conference (May 2025)
• Cement & Concrete Ready Mix Materials Showcase at the California Green Building Conference (May 2025)
• Roundtable Discussion: Exploring Engineered Wood (Video) (February 2025)
• Sustainable Concrete:  How to Reduce, Quantify, and Specify Carbon (Video) (October 2024)
• Key Takeaways and Video of the Clean Concrete Roundtable (March 2024) 
• Zero Emission Equipment:  Technicalities, Use Case, and Benefits (Video) (May 2024)
• Electrified Construction Equipment Best Practices Guide (August 2023)
• Commercial Water Reuse White Paper (April 2023)
• Innovating Highway Design for Environmental and Community Benefit Design & Development Report (September 2022)
• Decarbonizing Construction White Paper (August 2022)

This is a unique chance to join or sponsor a cohort of thought leaders and professionals that are shaping the construction industry’s future, as it pertains to pollution reduction. Functioning as an open-source ecosystem, your engagement, time, and support, can help create network effects that can accelerate the pollution reduction of construction activities.

• Access clean construction best practices, incentives, and resources to accelerate your progress.
• Showcase your successes and lessons learned through case studies, project tours, roundtables, and events.
• Connect with peers who are driving clean construction forward within their companies and communities.
• Work collaboratively on “moonshot” goals like establishing a Material Reuse Center in Los Angeles.

Contact us

Please contact Pars Parikh, Strategic Projects Manager, for more information.

Click Here!

The USGBC-CA Construction Committee, the City of LA, the LA Department of Water and Power, Hathaway Dinwiddie Construction, Suffolk Construction, Lendlease, Howard Building Corporation, BNBuilders, CalPortland, Turner Construction, Clayco, DPR Construction, and more.