Sources: International Code Council, Itasca, Ill.; CP staff
The International Code Council is taking the opportunity of the United Nations-affiliated COP26 Global Climate Change Conference in Glasgow to promote building codes’ role in helping governments and local jurisdictions around the world meet their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) to lower greenhouse gas inventories.
Through November 12, the We Mean Business Buildings Pavilion organized by the Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction (GlobalABC) and the We Mean Business Coalition will host events related to building safety and the built environment. As a sponsor, ICC will present in-person and virtual sessions and interact with global policymakers and stakeholders in the global building ecosystem.
“With communities searching for solutions to address energy use and reduce emissions, adopting and implementing energy codes are the natural solution,” says ICC Vice President of Global Services Judy Zakreski. “The Code Council is proud to work with other leading voices to spur action through raising awareness and highlighting the role of energy efficient, green and resilient buildings in achieving NDCs. Governments around the world are looking for tools and solutions to curb emissions, and contemporary building codes are a logical starting point.”
ICC is collaborating with the American Institute of Architects, Business Council for Sustainable Energy, GlobalABC and Architecture2030 members or stakeholders to promote the vital role that the adoption and enforcement of modern building codes can play in addressing climate
mitigation and adaptation. “As society races to achieve the greenhouse gas reductions outlined in the Paris Agreement and advance resiliency against the increasing frequency and intensity of natural hazards, modern building codes and standards play a foundational role in realizing these goals,” affirms ICC Vice President, Innovation Ryan Colker. “The International Code Council is working to ensure that communities across the globe have access to the codes and standards, as well as the supporting tools and resources necessary to advance the resiliency, sustainability, and efficiency of their buildings.”
In order for countries to achieve their NDCs, ICC contends, leaders must be prepared to “wake the sleeping giant” that is the building and construction sector, and focus on ensuring their communities have the proper tools, resources and knowledge to create energy efficient buildings and reduce the greenhouse gas emissions of building stock. After all, according to
GlobalABC, the global buildings sector is responsible for 38 percent of global energy-related emissions. The organization’s 2021 Buildings Global Status Report, released last month, highlights that the challenges to reaching a net zero, energy-efficient and resilient buildings and construction sector are considerable but achievable.