The Tempe council has passed a resolution committing that future city facilities will adhere to sustainable building practices.

The Nov. 30 city council vote also establishes a voluntary sustainable building code for local development.

Tempe will use the International Green Construction Code, which guides “sustainable, resilient and high-performing development while prioritizing nature and climate,” according to a release.

Green codes mitigate heat island effects, reduce water consumption, decrease dependency on fossil fuels and increase building life spans, the release stated.

“What we are really aiming for is a stronger set of codes that can easily be implemented and do good for our environment,” Eric Iwersen, Tempe’s Sustainability & Resilience director, said.

“The current code adoption puts our community one step closer to a more sustainable and resilient Tempe by testing green codes with real construction in our community.

“Private developers can assist this process by being early, voluntary adopters.” 

Tempe has previously tested green codes by including elements of the code in various city projects like the Tempe Transportation Center, Clark Park and Fire Station No. 2.

Those projects, along with solicited community comments, were used to help develop the resolution, officials said.