Healthy Buildings Ordinance

The Healthy Buildings Ordinance is a building performance standard (BPS) that will regulate, educate, and provide a clear path for Evanston’s largest (over 20,000 square feet) buildings, to comply with goals set out in our Climate Action and Resilience Plan (CARP). The policy will efficiently reduce building emissions while ensuring equitable decision-making, affordability preservation, workforce development opportunities, and cost savings.

This ordinance builds off the existing Benchmarking Ordinance, which currently requires large buildings in Evanston to track and report their annual energy and water usage. For resources on benchmarking and the HBO, please visit the Knowledgebase Helpdesk.

Read through the HBO Info Sheet to better what the Healthy Buildings Ordinance entails.

Covered Buildings:

List and map of covered buildings, categorized by ward.

Healthy Buildings Ordinance Committees:

The Healthy Buildings Technical Committee meets the first and third Wednesday of each month and Healthy Buildings Accountability Board meets the first and third Friday of each month to determine the targets and rules for the Healthy Buildings Ordinance. These meetings are open to the public to attend.

HBTC and HBAB updates:

HBO rulemaking will be finalized in 2027 and the first target year will be 2030 (reported in 2031).

Healthy Buildings Ordinance Background

Reducing greenhouse gas emissions is an essential goal of climate action in Evanston. The Climate Action and Resilience Plan aims for the city to

Be carbon neutral by 2050
Reduce building energy consumption by 50% community wide from 2005 baseline
Have 100% renewable electricity supply for all Evanston accounts by 2030

According to the 2022 greenhouse gas emissions report, approximately half of emissions in and from Evanston come from the ~500 largest buildings. View Evanston's Benchmarking visualization. Implementing building performance standards is one of the single most effective ways to reduce urban emissions.

Learn more about Evanston's building stock.

My building currently submits Benchmarking data, would this affect me?

Is your building over 20,000 square feet? Yes, you would be affected by this.
Is your building under 20,000 square feet? Your building would not currently be regulated by the Healthy Buildings Ordinance.

Has this ordinance been passed?
Yes, this ordinance was passed on March 10, 2025. The Healthy Buildings Accountability Board and the Healthy Buildings Technical Committee are developing building performance standards and program guidelines for the rulemaking process.

How is this different from the Benchmarking Ordinance?
Benchmarking requires reporting energy and water usage through Energy Star Portfolio Manager. The Healthy Building Ordinance provides a pathway to reduce emissions and increase efficiency in Evanston's largest buildings.

What would be the desired outcome of the Healthy Buildings Ordinance?
In regulated buildings, you could expect:

Improved indoor air quality
Reduced utility cost
Improved efficiency
Increased use of renewable energy
Higher comfort

Community-wide, one can expect:

Improved air quality
Economic stimulation
Reduced emissions

You can stay informed about building performance standards by:

Signing up for the Sustainability Newsletter
Reaching out to Benchmarking@cityofevanston.org

Healthy Buildings Ordinance Resources

For resources on benchmarking and the HBO, please visit the Knowledgebase Helpdesk.
BPS Calculator
HBO Introduction Presentation
Future of Benchmarking and Healthy Buildings Ordinance webinar recording
Slide deck for benchmarked buildings