Boston BERDO Compliance Workbook for Condos and Co-ops

Boston’s Building Emissions Reduction and Disclosure Ordinance (BERDO) is a local law that aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution from Boston’s largest buildings, which account for 40% of the city’s carbon emissions. BERDO should also help cooperatives (co-op) and condominiums (condos) reduce operating costs, improve resident health and comfort, and maintain property values. 

The City of Boston created this resource to help building owners comply with BERDO by expanding on the guidance and tools available on the BERDO website. 

This workbook complements the existing BERDO Condo Handbook, which focuses more specifically on legal compliance and best practices. While the handbook is more of a reference guide, the workbook is meant to be a fillable tool to organize your building’s data, discussions, and plans. Links to additional resources are included throughout the workbook. 

Who is this Workbook for?

This workbook is designed for condo associations, co-op boards, and unit owners subject to BERDO. It can help users organize important information about their buildings, evaluate available options, and take steps toward compliance. Use this workbook when preparing for a board meeting, working with consultants or contractors, and planning upgrades. 

How to Use this Workbook

This workbook is organized as a step-by-step process that guides you from understanding BERDO, to evaluating compliance and decarbonization options, to developing and implementing a Zero-over-Time plan. Each section concludes with a Section Recap checklist to help you review key takeaways, track your progress, and confirm you have the information needed before moving to the next stage. Even though this workbook is organized as a step-by-step process, you can start with the sections that are most relevant to your building’s current needs.