Colombia. During the last Construverde event, the National Roadmap of Net Zero Carbon Buildings was launched, a document that becomes a reference framework with goals and actions that must be implemented from this sector to contribute to carbon neutrality, an aspiration set for the year 2050 by the National Government through the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development.
The Net Zero Carbon Building Roadmap establishes short, medium and long-term actions for the entire chain of the construction sector: urban planning, materials, transport and distribution, design, labeling, certification, water and energy use, waste management.
This roadmap was financed from the budget of the Global Environment Facility (GEF), in partnership with the World Resources Institute (WRI) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), under the leadership of the Sustainable Construction Council and the Minambiente, with the participation of the advisory committee of Minvivienda, the National Planning Department (DNP), Minenergía, Camacol and the Planning Secretariats of Cali and Bogotá.
"We delivered to the country the national roadmap of net zero carbon buildings that allows us to advance from the construction sector and identify a complete strategy of measures to continue in the reduction of Greenhouse Gases (GHG) of the country. This is a complement to the other measures that President Iván Duque has already been developing in that vision of consolidating a carbon neutral country and making a transition of our productive apparatus towards this direction," said the Deputy Minister of Environmental Planning of the Territory, Nicolás Galarza Sánchez.
The Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), which sets a goal of 51% reduction in GHG emissions by 2030, includes different measures aimed at sustainable construction.
Some of these are the gradual implementation until reaching 100% of new buildings nationwide by 2026, with a view until 2030; 15% substitution of fossil energy demand in production plants, and the promotion of at least eight thermal districts in different cities (five main and three intermediate).
From the country's long-term strategy E2050, it is projected to have sustainable cities by 2050. Some of the goals to achieve this are:
Zero waste: 100% of the waste will be managed through harvesting, composting and incineration for energy purposes.
Green and sustainable infrastructure: 100% of cities will increase the quantity, quality and functionality of their infrastructure.
Characteristics of a sustainable building
According to Angélica Ospina, technical director of the Sustainable Construction Council, co-author of the document, a net zero carbon building is one with energy efficiency (renewable energies), which "takes into account the interaction with the environment and generates well-being for people". He also said that this type of construction handles the concept of the life cycle and its materials cause low impacts, as well as its operation. They must have "incorporated a monitoring process so that it is known how it is behaving in terms of reducing emissions," he explained.
Raise awareness and educate
"This roadmap aligns with the work being done by the National Government in structuring the implementation and monitoring plans for each of the activities described in the NDC. The first thing that must be done is to sensitize, educate and generate capacities for the implementation of this roadmap, not only in the construction sector, but throughout the value chain, "said the director of Climate Change and Risk Management of the Environment, Álex Saer.
* More information about this document, in the following link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1P4XKXmH9dGk9AO03xnKM8sL2Lrxs3RF9/view.
