Building codes are a vital tool for states to improve energy efficiency and reduce carbon emissions. But in a drastic move, North Carolina state lawmakers have just made it illegal for the state to overhaul its residential building codes until 2031. “Based on independent analysis, adopting these standards is just a win across the board,” Zach Amittay, Southeast advocate for nonprofit group Environmental Entrepreneurs, said in a Thursday interview. “At the end of the day, this is, unfortunately, a reflection of the influence that homebuilders have on the legislature.”
