Part 1 - Contextual Background

According to the United Nations Human Settlement Programme (UN-Habitat), cities only occupy 3% of the planet’s land area, but consume about three-quarters of the world’s natural resources and use about 80% of the global energy supply. Consequently, cities are responsible for about 80% of CO2 emissions related to energy production¹.

In Latin America alone, these cities are expected to house 81% of the population by 2030 and this growth will lead to a doubling of the built environment by 2050. Given these urbanization rates and that buildings already generate around 39% of CO2 emissions from energy and consume around 40% of the world’s electricity, it is imperative to reach a higher efficiency and low-carbon standard with new and existing buildings alike.