International Code Council Takeaways from the GlobalABC Annual Assembly

This year, I had the opportunity to represent the International Code Council, along with Chief Executive Officer, John Belcik, and International Code Council staff, at the annual assembly of the Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction (GlobalABC) which convened in Dresden, Germany from April 7-8.

After the two days of sessions, which offered an update on all GlobalABC activities, and plenty of opportunities for networking and collaboration, I was impressed with the wide global representation of attendees from across the globe, which included people from both emerging and developed economies. The commitment of everyone there to our shared goal of creating a resilient, sustainable built environment, was clear.

Also clear was that we are all facing different hurdles in this journey, and each stakeholder group – including national governments that enact policy; local governments responsible for compliance; private sector associations that have tools to offer; academics that gather data; manufacturers that are innovating to deliver safe, sustainable and affordable building products; banks that can offer financing; among others – are all participating in the spirit of collaboration. There was a genuine interest in sharing experiences and best practices and learning from one another.

One country may have already overcome a hurdle that another is currently grappling with and can share valuable lessons from their experience. Given the complexity of buildings and building regulations – which require coordination among policy makers, regulators, developers, construction professionals, building owners, banks and insurers – collaboration is essential in achieving safe, sustainable and affordable buildings.

These needs can vary widely by country and region, and solutions that may be a priority in one market might not be as urgent as another. Creating a space for collaboration is critical as needs evolve.

Initiatives of the Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction

The GlobalABC is a powerful and highly relevant platform that brings together national and local governments, private sector organizations and non-governmental bodies to provide tools and incentives to help create a more resilient and sustainable built environment around the world. The task that is being undertaken by GlobalABC is impressive, as the entity has over 300 members representing over 40 countries, and has made considerable progress over the ten years since it was created in 2015.

Two of the major undertakings that the GlobalABC is currently focusing on are the Buildings Breakthrough, which has a goal of making nearly zero-emissions and resilient buildings the new normal by 2030, and the Inter-governmental Council on Buildings and Climate (ICBC), which includes representatives from buildings, housing or construction ministries from over 60 countries who are collaborating to achieve common built environment goals.

These undertakings are supported by association members, such as the International Code Council, through tools and resources provided in meetings and by assisting organizations that aim to achieve these global goals.

The GlobalABC also sponsors and facilitates the Buildings Pavilion at the annual United Nations Conference of Parties (COP) climate conferences, offering a vital gathering space for stakeholders in the global built environment who are committed to advancing these shared goals.

After participating in the Annual Assembly, seeing the outputs and engaging in two long days of collaboration, I can say that there is good alignment between the GlobalABC’s mission and the goals of the International Code Council in providing the tools and resources to those that may desire them.

It was a powerful reminder that the work that we all do every day, often quietly at the local level, can have a meaningful impact on a global scale.

Read more about the International Code Council’s involvement at the GlobalABC here.