Adaptation and mitigation of buildings in emerging economies: the importance of a focused approach to regulatory compliance

This paper explores the essential requirements for achieving building safety in general, followed by considerations specific to achieving the climate resilience benefits anticipated through the use of building energy codes. The paper draws on work undertaken by prominent international organizations on subjects related to climate change adaptation and essential components of building regulatory systems.

In many emerging economies, the greatest barrier to achieving safe buildings is not access to strong building codes and standards, but the capacity to successfully implement and enforce those building codes. The same principle is true for achievingresilient buildings, which are frequently touted as important elements in achieving Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), and which can mitigate the impact of climate change and result in more resilience. In emerging economies and the Global South, it can be argued that investing in a strong regulatory infrastructure and capacity building for enforcement could be more effective in achieving more resilient buildings, than updating building regulations to the most advanced energy efficiency standards.