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New Buildings Institute and its partners have worked successfully to improve the stringency of the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) for 20 years. With the crisis of climate change, we believe that energy codes are a fundamental and urgent strategy for curbing the 39% of carbon emissions emitted by buildings. Our approach is highly collaborative, working with advocates, practitioners and industry representatives to find common ground that allows us to collectively achieve our goals.
We are concerned about a recent report in the New York Times regarding an agreement between the International Code Council (ICC) and the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) to effect the development process of the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC). The IECC is a document that is at the core of the nation’s ability to achieve energy efficiency in the building sector, and it is critical that the process of developing the IECC is fair, transparent and not subject to undue influence. NBI will monitor all additional fact-finding regarding the reports in the New York Times, and will encourage future actions at the International Code Council that contribute to the highest levels of credibility and legitimacy for the IECC. Cities and states, as well as jurisdictions internationally, will be relying on a relevant 2021 IECC as a tool to meet climate goals both locally and nationally. NBI is asking that the ICC respond to the reports in a manner that allows the IECC to resume a solid role in the nation’s fight to mitigate the climate crisis.
The next steps in the IECC development process are the hearings currently being held in Las Vegas through Oct. 30. After these hearings, registered voting members of the ICC will be able to vote for the efficiency measures they want to be adopted into the 2021 version of the IECC. Voting members should not allow challenges with the ICC committee process to prevent the achievement of significant savings that are available for this round. Past improvements have been called for by voting members despite committee determinations. That is what we need now—cities and states to vote for the improvements they need to achieve their climate action goals.