Starting a transformation - IgCC

Dear Mayor and Council,

The Sustainability & Resilience Commission is writing in support of the adoption of the voluntary International Green Construction Code (IgCC), with the assurance of advancing towards a mandatory adoption in 2025.

Adopting a building code that reduces greenhouse gas emissions and supports urban cooling is an effective strategy to addressing climate change and preventing additional record-breaking temperature summers, like we experienced this year. The Commission has followed the development of the IgCC journey, spanning a couple of years and are grateful to the dedication of various city staff, consultants, stakeholder and the public. The adoption of green codes is outlined in the General Plan 2050 and received a remarkable amount of public support and encouragement.

The Commission strongly believes starting with a voluntary code and incrementally working towards a mandatory code will yield the greatest success in long term for Tempe. The City of Tempe has an opportunity to implement the voluntary IgCC in a way that educates across the relevant departments and work hand in hand with industry leaders while also building a culture of support for it with continued dialogue throughout the community. The approved Green Code Plans Reviewer position, housed in Community Development, should be dedicated to working with Planning, Building Safety, Engineering, Economic Development, and the Sustainability and Resilience Office to educate, promote, track and monitor the voluntary program. Tempe’s success should not solely look at policies on the book, but consider the social and cultural shifts being made that will impact our built environment.

The Commission is honored to be serving a Council dedicated to being a model for integrating green codes. Adopting a resolution committing all new municipal building construction to use the IgCC will help showcase what is possible to the community and continue the refinement of a code that works uniquely for our city.

The development of the code language and approval of the voluntary IgCC is an amazing step for Tempe. This is the first step. The next step, implementation, has the power to set a trajectory for Tempe to see long term success in adopting a mandatory code and making an impact on Council’s community carbon neutrality goal.

Sincerely,

Sustainability and Resilience Commission

Kendon Jung, Chair

Barbie Burke, Vice Chair