Published by Governing: Building energy use accounts for nearly 30 percent of total greenhouse gas emissions. The latest energy codes can reduce carbon dioxide, but many states continue to use standards that are outdated.

Kim Cheslak, director of codes for New Buildings Institute, works to help local governments make the most of code adoption and implementation. Cheslak earned a master’s degree in architecture, but code was never part of the curriculum. It may be time to expand the concept of building safety outward. Climate impacts once predicted to be decades in the future are harming people now. Emissions from buildings are a big part of the problem, especially those resulting from energy wasted by inefficient buildings.

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