GlobalABC Adaptation Hub: Lend Your Voice To the Global Adaptation Effort

The International Code Council is an active supporter of the Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction (GlobalABC), and co-leads the Adaptation Hub, which recently published a white paper entitled Why are we still not adapting?

This paper suggests that the challenge of adapting the built environment to cope with the more frequent and severe weather hazards occurring worldwide is closely linked to the fragmented structure of the buildings and construction industry.

Given that no single stakeholder group controls the entire value chain, creating a resilient built environment requires collaboration among different stakeholders. Specifically, each group must take the lead in making changes within their control to enhance adaptability.

Brainstorming Labs: Developing a Framework for Building Adaptation

The GlobalABC Adaptation Hub is working towards developing a framework that incorporates proven success strategies and measurable metrics. This framework aims to guide stakeholders across the entire spectrum of the buildings and construction value chain in implementing effective adaptation strategies worldwide.

The next step in the work involves hosting a series of Brainstorming Labs – divided by stakeholder groups – to uncover the existing challenges that exist globally and to understand what tools have been successful, and in what contexts.

The International Code Council is hosting the Brainstorming Lab designed for participation by subnational (state/provincial/local) government regulators and enforcement officials.

The session will last 90 minutes and is designed to be an interactive session during which the following questions will be discussed:

1. What are the top three to five actions that local regulators/enforcement officials can undertake to incentivize or achieve adaptation in the built environment? 
2. Can anyone share relevant examples of local government-incentivized adaptation, including case studies? 
3. Have any local regulators/enforcement groups used metrics to track the success of adaptation efforts that have been implemented? 
4. Do local regulators/enforcement officials generally view adaptation to increasingly frequent and severe weather events as a key priority in their work? If so, are adaptation efforts being prioritized? If not, why not/are there competing priorities that outweigh adaptation? 

Two sessions will be held to accommodate global time zones: 

• May 21, 2024 at 8:00 AM ET / 5:00 AM PT / 12L00 PM GMT / 2:00 PM CET / 10:00 pm Australia 
• May 22, 2024 at 9:00 PM ET / 6:00 PM PDT/ 1:00 AM GMT / 3:00 AM CET / 11:00 AM Australia

Anyone interested in participating can register here. Once registered, you will receive calendar invites for both sessions, but you only need to attend the one that is most convenient for you.

Your expertise and insights are crucial to the success of this initiative. Your involvement will not only contribute to meaningful change but also inspire continued collaboration in the fight to adapt the built environment to our changing climate and help save lives.

If you have questions, please contact Judy Zakreski at jzakreski@iccsafe.org.