Angela Hodgescott, director for the Office of Environmental Quality and Sustainability (OEQS), and Khoram Kadri, OEQS superintendent, told the committee on Nov. 3 that an interdepartmental working group has been established to ensure 2024 bond projects follow the Comprehensive Climate and Action Plan (CCAP).

Hodgescott said the IWG’s kickoff was in February 2025 and the group has completed a charter and a work plan. The current priority is a sustainability checklist intended to guide departments in integrating CCAP metrics and to provide measurable outcomes once decisions are made. Kadri said progress was initially slow as the group secured engagement from 11 departments and sought consensus; staff are now piloting a checklist and expect the pace of work to accelerate.

The briefing described possible checklist elements and tools—staff cited Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) as an example of a life-cycle tool that could be integrated over time rather than imposed immediately, and said the checklist will be phased in so departments, consultants and contractors can adapt. Hodgescott and Kadri told committee members they plan to pilot the checklist in selected projects and proposed a committee briefing on the checklist in March–April 2026 (staff said March or April 2026 was feasible, subject to pilot results and revisions).

Committee members asked for regular updates and emphasized the need for practical, implementable tools. Hodgescott said the IWG will produce metrics and that staff prefer to pilot elements in real projects before finalizing the checklist. Kadri added the group favors consensus-based recommendations so departmental processes can integrate the checklist without disrupting existing procurement and design workflows.