On March 27, to very little fanfare, the International Code Council (ICC) announced the availability of the 2012 International Green Construction Code (IgCC). The IGCC acts as an overlay code to the existing set of International Codes, including provisions of the International Energy Conservation Code and ICC-700, the National Green Building Standard.
According to the ICC, the IgCC is the first model code to include sustainability measures for an entire construction project and its site — from design, through construction, certificate of occupancy, and beyond. It establishes minimum green requirements for buildings. Goals of the code include making buildings more efficient, reducing waste, and having a positive impact on health, safety and community welfare.