Dive Brief:

• The International Code Council (ICC), ASHRAE, the American Institute of Architects (AIA), the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IES) and the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) signed a memorandum last week to develop Standard 189.1—the International Green Construction Code.
• The collaboration will create a comprehensive framework for implementing and adopting green building regulations.
• The agreement will also incorporate the LEED program, which will further streamline green codes.

Dive Insight:

Such cooperation within the four huge agencies is unprecedented, and likely a sign of how in-demand a comprehensive green code is. Each of the four agencies will work to integrate each of its needs to create the code. There is not a hard-and-fast date for implementation, but will likely go into effect 2017 at the earliest.