In recent years, the decarbonization of buildings and cities has gained increasing prominence both internationally and nationally. Among the key driving forces is the public sector, through various ministries such as the Ministry of Mines and Energy (MME), the Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation (MCTI), the Ministry of Cities (MCID), and the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change (MMA), which implement different policies, programs, and legislation. Financial institutions like development banks—such as the World Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB)—and international organizations, including the United Nations (UN), have also played pivotal roles in mobilizing the resources needed to enable the increasingly urgent reduction of carbon emissions.
At the heart of this process lies the entire supply chain of the construction industry, comprising building material manufacturers, designers, builders, developers, universities, research institutions, and innovation centers, among others.
To successfully reduce the carbon footprint of buildings, the first step is measurement, which must be carried out accurately and reliably. Some countries and cities are already discussing carbon regulations for building projects—establishing limit thresholds, typically expressed in "kgCO2-e/m²" or "kgCO2-e/m².year" for any given design.
