A new report from World Green Building Council (WorldGBC) provides a clear pathway for Latin America’s building and construction sector to advance climate action, supporting national climate goals while addressing challenges in finance, data, and policy.
The ‘Building the Transition: Transforming Buildings and Construction in Latin America’ (Part 1: Mapping the Landscape) report was developed in collaboration with seven national Green Building Councils in Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, and Venezuela, engaging over 420 stakeholders across the construction value chain. The report assesses market readiness across five strategic pillars: government leadership, technical solutions, finance, data, and mindset.
Key findings reveal:
- Policy alignment gaps with limited integration of building sector targets into Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).
- Uneven access to technologies such as low-carbon materials and high-efficiency systems.
- Finance and data challenges, with over 68% of stakeholders citing a lack of financial products for sustainable construction and over 75% reporting insufficient baseline data.
- Mindset shifts through capacity building and community engagement as key enablers for progress.
“The report serves as a pivotal tool for mobilising collective efforts across the Americas, uniting governments, industries and communities in a shared commitment to decarbonisation and climate resilience.” – Marco Corrales, CEO, Saint-Gobain LATAM North
“Across Latin America, the urgency to build climate resilient, low-carbon cities is greater than ever. This report offers a structured pathway to transform this urgency into coordinated, tangible action.” – Kota Fukutoku, Vice President, Daikin Latin America Division
The next phase will convene national workshops to validate strategies, define enabling actions, and produce tailored roadmaps with clear roles, timelines, and indicators, ensuring that climate action is grounded in local context.
