Ecobreves – MEXICO: Standards for Sustainable Construction

By IPS Correspondents and - - Reprint | | Print |

MEXICO CITY, Feb 11 2008 (IPS) - Mexico's National Housing Commission will enact a regulatory framework before the end of the month that, for the first time, will guide the construction of more eco-friendly homes. Defining the sustainability rules took more than four years, which included monitoring the pilot homes financed by the government, and numerous meetings with those in charge of real estate projects, Evangelina Hirata, the Commission's assistant director for growth.

The government promised the construction of one million sustainable homes by the end of 2012. In these households, use of energy and water, as well as waste disposal and management would have lower environmental impact than standard homes. Official figures state that the annual demand for housing in Mexico is one million.