Local building performance standards (BPS) are rapidly reshaping how campuses plan, operate, and invest in their buildings. Yet colleges and universities are implicitly positioned and may often view themselves as solely regulated entities, rather than essential partners in designing and implementing these standards.

This session, designed for sustainability, facilities, environmental compliance, and government relations professionals, reframes higher education as an active participant in local BPS. Drawing on our institutions’ engagement with Boston's Building Emissions and Reduction Disclosure Ordinance (BERDO) and related policies, we show how campuses can move from reactive compliance to constructive collaboration. The approaches we share are transferable to institutions in any jurisdiction considering or implementing building performance standards and are relevant for campuses at all stages of their climate journeys.

We begin with a concise overview of emerging BPS, such as Boston BERDO and Cambridge BEUDO, situating them within broader state and federal climate policy alignments and gaps. We then highlight why higher education is uniquely positioned to shape these standards: large and diverse building portfolios, in-house decarbonization and data expertise, and long-term commitments as anchor institutions. We connect this work directly to core missions around climate action, student and community wellbeing, and public service.

Using our BERDO experience as a case study, we present three complementary roles campuses can play: implementation partners (making policy workable on the ground), collective advocates (building a sector-wide voice through coalitions), and proactive participants (engaging early with city staff, advisory groups, and review boards).