The year 2024 was pivotal for the evolution of sustainable construction in Colombia, marking significant milestones in infrastructure, urban planning, and housing. In a challenging context for the construction sector, the country has consolidated innovative initiatives that project 2025 as a year of greater advancements and expanded impact at the regional and international levels.
Sustainable Infrastructure and the Role of ENVISION
The launch of ENVISION in Colombia represented a fundamental step in integrating sustainability criteria into the country’s infrastructure. This globally recognized certification and framework is helping to transform urban and rural projects, ensuring that infrastructure development has a positive impact on both the environment and communities.
Colombia GBC will strengthen its work with key sectors such as energy, water, transportation, and waste, driving the adoption of responsible infrastructure practices. Efforts will focus on increasing the number of projects registered under ENVISION and the number of active certified Envision SP professionals in the country.
The Growth of Sustainable Urbanism
The increasing adoption of LEED for Communities certification has enabled progress in creating more resilient cities with higher quality of life. Cities such as Bogotá, Cali, and Ibagué are leading this transformation, focusing on urban space regeneration, ecological connectivity, and climate change mitigation.
By 2025, the challenge will be to expand these practices to more regions and strengthen the adoption of CASA Colombia certification in the national market. The recent equivalence between CASA Colombia and LEED for Communities (Planning and Design) streamlines the certification process of projects registered under any version of CASA (V1.1, V2.1, and V3) that are part of certified urban developments under LEED for Communities.
Sustainable and Healthy Housing on the Rise
With approximately 60,000 housing units registered under the CASA Colombia system, the country has demonstrated that it is possible to integrate sustainability criteria without compromising affordability. In 2025, the implementation of sustainable practices in social housing is expected to grow, expanding access to homes with lower environmental impact and greater well-being for residents.
Colombia GBC will work to consolidate CASA Colombia as the most relevant comprehensive sustainability certification for housing, strengthening its regional ecosystem in collaboration with other GBCs. Key tools will be developed, such as: A certification platform in partnership with the IDB Invest, the publication of the CASA business case, and the transition to CASA Version 3, which incorporates specific criteria for promoting biodiversity and ecosystem services, making it a model example of how certification systems can drive conservation through construction.
Sustainable Construction and Biodiversity: A Commitment in Evolution
During COP16, Colombia GBC highlighted the crucial role of the sector and comprehensive sustainability certifications such as CASA Colombia, LEED, and ENVISION, which incorporate criteria for ecosystem protection and regeneration. These certification systems provide all stakeholders with a reference framework for decision-making, resulting in more sustainable, resilient, and biodiverse cities.
In 2025, greater integration of these criteria in urban development is expected, fostering ecosystem regeneration and contributing to climate change mitigation.
2025: A Key Year for Consolidation and Progress
Colombia GBC will continue leading the sector’s transformation through collaboration with the government, academia, and the private sector. One key objective is to actively engage end users in the demand for sustainable environments, promoting a structural market shift. Additionally, international partnerships will be strengthened to exchange knowledge and best practices in sustainable construction.
From a public policy perspective, the strategic focus will be on updating the NDC, incorporating specific decarbonization and resilience targets for the construction sector, and collaborating with the World GBC on the SCORECARD project to enhance the NDCs. Locally, efforts will prioritize the implementation of incentives for sustainable construction.
With 2025 on the horizon, Colombia is positioning itself as a key player in sustainable construction in the region, with initiatives that can serve as a model for other countries seeking more resilient and environmentally respectful development.
