Developing building codes

Building acts, regulations and codes are the means by which authorities control construction activities to ensure safety and health in the built environment. Similarly, standards and specifications for building materials production and use ensure the stipulated quality. To a large extent, the regulatory procedures can determine the types of building materials, skills and construction techniques to be used in a given construction process.

This strategy features in the framework of Agenda 21 as formulated at UNCED (Rio de Janeiro, 1992), now coordinated by the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development and implemented through national and local authorities. Agenda 21 recommends adoption of standards and other regulatory measures which promote the increased use of energy-efficient designs and technologies and sustainable utilization of natural resources in an economically and environmentally appropriate way.