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The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded nearly $6.2 million grant to the Hemp Building Institute (HBI), a Nashville-based nonprofit, to propel the use of biogenic materials like hemp in building construction. This grant is part of a broader $160 million initiative under President Biden's Inflation Reduction Act, aimed at revitalizing U.S. manufacturing and reducing greenhouse gas emissions associated with construction materials.
The document published by the EPA with summaries of proposed grantee projects provides detailed insights into the initiatives funded.
Jacob Waddell, founder of HBI, along with Todd Hughes, founder of Maryland-based EntreVator, are set to spearhead the project. The partnership will develop digital carbon accounting standards for materials like hemp, soy, and straw bale, essential for integrating bio-based materials into mainstream construction practices. "We are deeply honored to receive this grant from the EPA, which marks the beginning of a pivotal journey towards the widespread adoption of biogenic building materials," Hughes expressed in an email, according to a National Industrial Hemp Council newsletter.
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The project’s scope is comprehensive, including developing Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) and Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs) for these green materials. Collaborating with Alabama State University and the California Straw Bale Association among others, the initiative aims to establish an open-source database to enhance accessibility and understanding of biogenic materials' environmental impacts.
Hughes, emphasized the project’s potential to standardize these materials and overcome regulatory and market barriers. “Achieving mainstream adoption [of natural building materials] requires not only standardizing EPDs but also overcoming regulatory hurdles, increasing public and industry awareness, securing supply chain stability, and ensuring cost competitiveness.”
The broader EPA funding effort highlights the Biden-Harris Administration’s strategy to foster cleaner construction practices and support clean U.S. manufacturing under the Inflation Reduction Act. The Federal Buy Clean Initiative, highlighted in a recent EPA press release, prioritizes low-carbon materials in federal projects, underscoring a commitment to reducing climate pollution.
The initiative also involves the Parsons Healthy Materials Lab at The New School, New York, ensuring a multi-disciplinary approach to tackling emissions from the construction industry, which accounts for over 15% of annual global greenhouse emissions. Waddell stated, “We have a plan to execute this project that we believe in and we are glad that the EPA could see it as well.”
Leaders in hemp cultivation and processing such as Charlottes Web Holdings (OTC:CWBHF), Canopy Growth (NASDAQ:CGC), Aurora Cannabis (NASDAQ:ACB), Tilray (NASDAQ:TLRY) and Hemp Inc. (OTC:HEMP) may benefit from the rising use of hempcrete and other hemp-derived building materials.
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