Background Paper 3a—Institutional Efforts for Green Building: The Case of Mexico 1

Paper 3a: Institutional Efforts for Green Building:

The Case of Mexico

Centro Mario Molina
Background Paper 3a—Institutional Efforts for Green Building: The Case of Mexico 2

TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. Introduction.................................................................................................................................................3

II. Green Building in National Planning........................................................................................................3

II.1 National Development Plan, 2007–2012...............................................................................................5

II.2 National Urban Development and Land Use Planning Program, 2001–2006 (PNDU)........................7

II.3 National Environmental and Natural Resources Program, 2001–2006...............................................11

II.4 National Energy Program, 2001–2006 ................................................................................................13

II.5 National Housing Program, 2001–2006 ..............................................................................................14

II.6 Urban Development Plans or Programs..............................................................................................16

III. Elements of Sustainability in Building Codes ........................................................................................19

III.1 Building Codes and Local Zoning......................................................................................................22

IV. Laws and Standards Governing Product Environmental Performance .............................................34

IV.1 Sustainable Energy Management Standards ......................................................................................35

IV.2 Sustainable Natural Resource Management Standards......................................................................37

V. Voluntary Green Building Promotion Programs...................................................................................42

V.1 Profepa’s Voluntary Environmental Auditing Program.....................................................................42

V.2 Mexican Institute of Intelligent Building ...........................................................................................43

V.3 Mexican Green Building Council.......................................................................................................43

VI. Financing for Green Building ..................................................................................................................47

VII.Green Building in the Mexican Educational System .............................................................................50

VII.1 Undergraduate Level ..........................................................................................................................50

VII.2 Graduate Level ...................................................................................................................................51

VII.3 Certificate Programs...........................................................................................................................52

VIII. General Recommendations ...........................................................................................................55

IX. References..................................................................................................................................................59
Background Paper 3a—Institutional Efforts for Green Building: The Case of Mexico 3

I. Introduction

This document analyzes the existing legal and institutional frameworks in Mexico in relation to 

construction activity with the purpose of identifying the obstacles to, and the potential for, green 

building in the country. Recommendations are included in each section with a view to smoothing 

the path towards achieving the sustainability objectives for building projects in Mexico posited 

in Paper One: Green Building Energy Scenarios for 2030. 

II. Green Building in National Planning 

The National Planning System (Sistema de Planeación Nacional—SNP) is the legal mechanism 

through which the federal government establishes its policies and programs for each six-year 

term of office. During the first six months of his administration, the President of the Republic 

must prepare The National Development Plan (Plan Nacional de Desarrollo—PND), which will 

serve as the basis for sector programs, and in turn, implementation activities. To promote green 

building in Mexico, this concept must first be introduced in the context of the SNP.

The first SNP came into force in Mexico 24 years ago, in January 1983, when el Congreso de la 

Unión, i.e., the Federal Congress (Mexico’s government is comprised of three branches: the 

Executive, Legislative and Judicial) enacted the General Planning Act (Ley General de 

Planeación—LGP).1 In so doing, it established the regulatory and legal foundations for planning 

in Mexico. Due to its general nature, application of this law falls under the jurisdiction of all 

three levels of government: federal, state and municipal. By national development planning is 

understood the organizing of the government’s actions, in its different areas of jurisdiction, to 

regulate and foster national activity (see Diagram 1).

The LGP defines the responsibilities of the federal Executive (i.e., the President of the Republic) 

regarding its role in leading national development planning via the PND. The term of the latter is 

six years, as, in effect, each incoming presidential administration elaborates the PND, which is to 

govern the country’s destinies for the duration of its mandate. The PND is elaborated and issued 

in the first six months of the presidential term. This is done with the participation of the different 

sectors of the population (i.e., social, political, business and academic organizations, as well as 

the general public) through an open democratic public consultation process. The Federal 

Congress then reviews the PND and adds its input prior to the PND’s approval and publication.

Furthermore, the LGP establishes the various types of plans and programs comprising the SNP:

a) The National Development Plan

b) State development plans

c) Municipal development plans

d) The sector programs, which specify the actions of the National Plan in each sector under 

federal jurisdiction

 1 Ley de Planeación, Diario Oficial de la Federación, reform of 13 June 2003, Mexico.
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e) The institutional programs elaborated by the decentralized agencies of the federal 

government

f) The regional programs are formulated to attend to priority or strategic areas of the 

country, which exceed any specific state’s jurisdiction.

g) Special programs designed to attend to the overall development priorities stipulated in the 

PND or to activities whose execution entails two or more public agencies.

Diagram 1. The National Planning System

National Planning System

In the pyramid: 

Federation 

State

Municipality

Top row:

National Development Plan – Environment – Urban Development – Housing – Energy 

(under boxes: establishes national policy)

Middle row:

State Urban Development Plan of Baja California – Environment – Urban Development –

Housing

(under boxes: establishes state policy)
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Bottom row:

Municipal Development Plan 2002–2005 – Population Center Urban Development Plan –

Environmental Land Use 

(under boxes: regulates land use and building projects)

Among the PND’s 30 plus sector programs (also known as medium-term programs or PMPs) are 

the Housing, Energy, Human Settlements, and Environment and Natural Resources programs, all 

of which are relevant to green building.

For their part, the state and municipal governments engage in local planning, based on the 

provisions of the LGP, the SNP and the PND. State development plans have a term of six years, 

municipal development plans, three years. In all cases, these plans occasion government 

programs that remain in effect for the duration of the governments in question.

The actions contained in these stated plans and programs—which represent government 

commitments—are executed through the annual operating programs (AOPs) and the 

programming and budgeting processes that govern governments’ year-by-year expenditures. In 

the particular case of the President of the Republic, the Executive must present its yearly report, 

in the month of March, to the Congressional Standing Commission (Comisión Permanente del 

Congreso de la Unión) on the actions and results generated by the PND and PMPs.

At the time of this report’s writing, the PND of the incoming presidential administration was in 

the public consultation phase. Consequently, in lieu of the Plan per se, this report will include a 

brief summary of its highlights, as well as a review of the 2001–2006 PMPs (i.e., those of the 

previous administration), which pertain to the issue of green building.

II.1 National Development Plan, 2007–2012

As mentioned, the PND elaborated by the President of the Republic is the result of a broad public 

consultation process with a cross-section of society, including the indigenous communities, the 

three levels of government and the general public. As a means of gathering demands and 

proposals, this process represents, in effect, a commitment to society on the part of the federal 

government. The PND sets the objectives, policies and strategies that shall orient the government 

during its six-year mandate. The 2007–2012 PND sets a long-term objective for the Mexico of 

2030: to become a country engaged in sustainable development, where the culture of respect for 

the environment and conservation is paramount.2

The 2007–2012 PND does not directly allude to “green building” or to “green buildings.” 

Nevertheless, the issue of sustainable development is incorporated as a fundamental aspect of the 

national strategy and of the objectives corresponding to the energy, environment and 

construction sectors (in particular, housing). Consequently, among the objectives mentioned is 

 2 Presidencia de la República, Decreto por el que se aprueba el Plan Nacional de Desarrollo 2007-2012, Diario Oficial de la 

Federación, 31 May 2007, Mexico.
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the need to: “Ensure environmental sustainability via Mexicans’ responsible participation in the 

stewardship, protection, preservation and rational exploitation of the country’s natural wealth, 

and, in so doing, consolidate economic and social development without compromising the 

natural heritage and quality of life of future generations.”

The PND articulates its objectives and strategies around five priorities, one of which is 

environmental sustainability: “If Mexico is to achieve true environmental sustainability it’s 

necessary to reconcile the environment with two other important facets of sustainable human 

development, namely productivity and the competitiveness of the economy as a whole.”

Thus, with the PND the federal government undertakes to join the international community’s 

vast campaign to avoid irreversible damage to the planet by phenomena such as global warming.

To reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the Government of Mexico will encourage the efficient use 

and management of energy along with the adoption of clean technologies. In the domestic sector, 

it proposes to promote the use of energy saving lamps and thermal isolation in housing. 

Similarly, it is proposed that new housing designs integrate efficient energy use criteria.

Furthermore, the federal government recognizes that understanding the constituent elements of 

the environment requires a holistic perspective. Hence, its acceptance of the strategic role that 

other stakeholders play in working towards the country’s sustainable development. The PND 

undertakes to convert environmental sustainability into a crosscutting public policy priority to 

ensure that all projects, particularly infrastructure and economic projects, are compatible with 

environmental protection.

Interinstitutional and intergovernmental coordination is also necessary to achieve this objective. 

Consequently, the PND recognizes the need for close coordination and integration of efforts 

between federal agencies, the three levels of government, and the three branches of the federal 

government, in the elaboration and implementation of environmental sustainability related 

policies.

Research into sustainable technological development is another federal government priority 

mentioned in the PND. This priority could take the form of support for applied research projects, 

for example. A specific case would be the development of energy recovery technologies to 

enable exploitation of the energy potential in waste matter generated by various activities.

Also, the PND recognizes that the country’s regional diversity imposes legal jurisdictional issues 

and restrictions on sustainable development. Consequently, the PND undertakes to orient land 

use, planning and management strategies in a manner that takes into account the characteristics 

of Mexico’s different regional or subregional jurisdictions. This latter task requires the 

participation and input of a broad range of stakeholders.

Concerning urban development, the PND takes responsibility for achieving a national land use 

pattern that will slow the chaotic growth of urban areas, provide land apt for urban development 

and facilitate access to services and facilities in both urban and rural communities. To this end, it 
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will undertake construction projects in accordance with the orderly, rational and sustainable 

development of human settlements.

Furthermore, the PND undertakes to increase the joint participation of the federation, states and 

municipalities with a view to creating the incentives needed to update and harmonize regulations, 

standards and building codes for different geographical areas and/or climate zones. In this area, 

the PND recognizes the need for proper coordination, interinstitutionally and between the three 

orders of government.

As for housing, the PND does not allude to the development of sustainable housing. That said, it 

does undertake to promote the creation of a National Information and Indicators System 

designed to record the variables needed to enable diagnostic and prospective analysis of the 

needs and growth trends in the country’s housing sector. As such, it would serve as a tool for 

effective planning of public strategies and actions.

Recommendations

• To obtain quantifiable results by 2012 on this issue, it is, in principle, necessary to firmly 

establish the concept of green building and to develop concise guidelines that foster the use 

and adoption of clean and environmentally sustainable technologies in the construction 

industry. This is particularly so regarding certain PND 2007–2012 sector programs: i.e., 

Urban Development and Land Use Planning, Environment and Natural Resources, Energy, 

Housing and Education. 

• Promote the inclusion of green building policies, strategies, guidelines and criteria in local 

planning. This is a task in which the local authorities responsible for approving or rejecting 

building projects will be called on to play a strategic role as leading actors in favor of green 

building.

II.2 National Urban Development and Land Use Planning Program, 2001–2006 

(PNDU) 

Urban planning in Mexico is one of the oldest types of planning in the federal government. Its 

origins date back to the 1930 General Planning Act of the Republic (Ley sobre la Planeación 

General de la República).3 That legislation sought to coordinate and orient the activities of the 

government’s various agencies to achieve the material construction and development of the 

country in an orderly and harmonious fashion, in accordance with its topography, climate, 

population, history and traditions, its functional, social and economic life, national defense, 

public sanitation, and present and future necessities.

To achieve this objective, the federal government took up the challenge of elaborating “the 

National Plan of Mexico” (Plano Nacional de México), which included issues such as: the 

division of the national territory into zones, classified in accordance with their characteristics, 

 3 Secretaría de Desarrollo Social, Programa Nacional de Desarrollo Urbano y Ordenación del Territorio 2001–2006, Mexico, 2001.
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functions, uses or intended uses; urban and regional planning and zoning; and the elaboration of 

regulatory plans for the Federal District and territories, among other issues.4

It was the Secretariat of Social Development (Secretaría de Desarrollo Social—Sedesol), the 

federal government agency now in charge of attending to the questions inherent to urban 

development, which formulated the 2001–2006 National Urban Development and Land Use 

Planning Program (Programa Nacional de Desarrollo Urbano y Ordenación del Territorio—

PNDU). The PNDU establishes the principles, objectives, strategies and guidelines determining 

the organization of the federal government’s action in this area. 

The PNDU established, within the framework of sustainability issues, a land use planning policy 

that integrates every territorial jurisdiction and settlement, from small and dispersed rural 

localities to major metropolises, into a planning and action schema that proposes to combat the 

structural causes of poverty and marginalization, maximize economic efficiency and strengthen 

the country’s political, social and cultural cohesion.

With this in mind, the PNDU set itself three strategic objectives for the year 2006 and, looking 

forward, the year 2025: 1) maximize economic efficiency in the country while guaranteeing 

social and cultural cohesion; 2) create synergies by sustainably integrating the National Urban 

Development System with regional development; and 3) integrate urban lands apt for 

development in support of urban growth. As for the environment, the program aims to achieve 

social and human development in harmony with nature and to create the necessary conditions for 

sustainable development.

To achieve these three objectives, three complementary strategies were defined to promote: a) a 

governmental policy on land use planning and regional urban activities; b) a national urban and 

regional development policy to favor strategic projects with a comprehensive vision of regions, 

metropolitan areas and cities; and c) a national policy on land and land banks.

The next level in urban planning takes the form of State land use planning programs (programas 

estatales de ordenación del territorio—PEOT). This function of state governments has could 

potentially play an important role in fostering green building, as PEOTs constitute the principal 

regulatory framework for inducing local governments (i.e., municipalities) to modernize their 

urban development programs. 

The following are among the most important elements included in PEOTs:

 Precise definitions of the opportunities and limitations on land use imposed by natural 

conditions

 Land use vocations 

 Urban development risk restrictions

 Areas with natural characteristics suitable for inclusion in a protection program 

 Spatial and functional integration of human settlements 

 Scenarios on land use and development of state territory 

In these land use planning programs it is also possible to promote the incorporation of planning 

criteria to encourage the adoption, in the public, private and social sectors, of instruments that 

foster the construction of green buildings, promote sustainability approaches in the real estate 

 4 Semarnat, La ordenación del territorio, document consulted online: <www.reliot.ine.gob.mx/otsedesol.html>.
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market and establish the foundations for the gradual incorporation of sustainability standards by 

businesses specializing in housing construction.

The PNDU also acknowledges the country’s urban deficits which are prevalent and an 

impediment to achieving favorable comfort levels in living conditions: “If we just consider the 

124 cities with over 50,000 inhabitants in the year 2000, 35 had high or very high levels of basic 

infrastructure coverage. That is to say over 75 percent of the dwellings in these cities had 

drinking water and electricity and were connected to a public sewer system. Ten of these cities 

are state capitals in the central and northern areas of the country. In contrast, the cities where 

tourism is important have low levels of municipal coverage, ranging from medium to low and 

very low, i.e., less than 50 percent of dwellings enjoy these three basic amenities. The contrast is 

particularly striking with the cities on the northern border where, for the most part, levels of 

coverage range from medium to very high.”5

To these lags in the provision of municipal public services must be added the slowness of cities 

to support the clean technologies that green building requires, such as separating rainwater sewer 

systems and sanitary sewer systems, and putting in place the infrastructure necessary to recycle 

wastewaters.

Another section of the program underlines that “in 84 percent of the 124 cities with over 50,000 

inhabitants less than 50 percent of the road network is paved. Furthermore, in Mexico there is an 

unequal distribution of health care, higher education and research facilities, as these are mostly 

concentrated in the Mexico City Metropolitan Area, the surrounding cities and state capitals.”6

The quality of housing is another basic indicator of the physical conditions in a city and of the 

quality of life of its inhabitants. In the year 2000, 55 percent of the 124 urban localities with over 

50,000 inhabitants were characterized by housing quality levels from medium to low and very 

low, i.e., at least a third of the housing units in these cities had dirt floors and walls and roofs 

made of non-permanent materials. Moreover, as with urban infrastructure, in addition to the 

existing deficiencies in terms of housing quality the expected increases in urban populations will 

bring new challenges. In effect, the total housing stock will rise from 21.9 million houses to 45.2 

million houses in the next 30 years—houses that need to be built with techniques and procedures 

that ensure less environmental impact and real possibilities for increasing the quality of life of 

their inhabitants. With these lags in the quality of public services and housing, greater efforts are 

required on the part of all stakeholders if poverty is to be reduced and progress made towards 

sustainability in the long run.

The PNDU notes that to confront the demands stemming from accelerated urban growth 

increasing responsibilities have been transferred to local authorities in terms of providing 

services and building urban infrastructure and public facilities. Today, municipal responsibilities 

include: administering the zoning by-laws in municipal urban development plans; participating 

in the creation and administration of land banks; controlling and monitoring land use in their 

jurisdictions; regularizing land tenancy on urban lands; granting construction licenses and 

permits; and participating in the creation and administration of ecological reserves. 

Consequently, the municipality is the level of government closest to the community in terms of 

attending to and resolving its most immediate problems and necessities. It is, therefore, at the 

 5 Ibid.

6 Comisión Nacional de Fomento a Vivienda, 2006, Mexico.
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local level where the greatest efforts must be deployed to ensure that sustainability concerns be 

incorporated into new building projects, via standards, regulations, and urban development plans 

and programs.

For reasons already mentioned, urban development plans or programs (PDUs) are the 

instruments that regulate land use and establish rules on the types and intensities of land use, as 

well as specific spatial planning. This is a function constitutionally reserved for municipalities, 

to be exercised by municipal governments. However, certain exceptions exist, such as when the 

territory covered in a plan exceeds the boundaries of a single municipality (in which case the 

state government has jurisdiction) or those of a single state (in which case jurisdiction is federal). 

All construction projects executed in any part of the national territory must comply with the 

specifications and regulations stipulated in the PDUs; similarly, the PDUs must comply with the 

regulations defined by higher level planning authorities (state urban development programs and

the PNDU). 

Of the three levels of urban planning—federal, state and municipal—it is the Executive that is 

charged with elaborating the respective plan or program, consulting citizens, and submitting it to 

the Legislature for its consideration and approval, prior to its final publication. Concerning the 

environment, the 2001–2006 version of the PNDU made vague commitments that were difficult 

to measure and, consequently, hard to assess in terms of compliance. Sedesol’s role in the 

updating of the 2007–2012 program is crucial in terms of incorporating clearer strategies with 

quantifiable and measurable targets, which establish short and medium term commitments 

aligned with the present government’s mandate—as well as being framed in terms of a long-term 

perspective, with the year 2030 as its horizon.

Sedesol, as the federal agency responsible for setting national urban development policy, and in 

light of its leading role in the formulation of the 2007–2012 PNDU, should join the efforts to 

foster a new sustainable urban culture. With Sedesol’s participation and the incorporation of 

sustainable urban development strategies in the PMP, synergies would be unleashed at the local 

level, which would in turn generate innovative initiatives and proposals to be incorporated into 

the local urban planning process.

Recommendations

• Include in the 2007–2012 PNDU a strategic orientation on green building that considers, 

among other issues, the commitment to adopt sustainability criteria and standards in building 

projects, as well as the strengthening of said criteria and standards via clear urban zoning 

policies and the promotion of state and municipal urban development programs.

• That Sedesol, in light of its leading role in the implementation of the PMP, foster the new 

urban environmental conscience in a crosscutting fashion among federal government 

agencies and organizations, local governments, the social and private sectors, and civil 

society organizations. Such major efforts should unleash synergies at the local level that will 

generate innovative initiatives and proposals to be incorporated into the local urban planning 

process.

• Direct the greatest possible effort to ensure that sustainability translates into actual standards, 

regulations, and urban development plans and programs. 
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• Eliminate the components of urban development programs that hinder or block sustainable 

development, and promote land use provisions that foster responsible development.

• Include awards programs and incentives to encourage local authorities to engage in 

sustainable and responsible planning.

• That the federal government develop, via Sedesol and Semarnat, a strategy to establish 

environmental regulations focused on national urban development.

II.3 National Environmental and Natural Resources Program, 2001–2006

The National Environmental and Natural Resources Program (Programa Nacional de Medio 

Ambiente y Recursos Naturales—PMA)7 begins with an assessment of the state of the 

environmental at the time of its elaboration. Based on that assessment, the PMA establishes the 

policy, lines of action, projects, targets and environmental management activities to be executed 

during the program’s six-year term. It also encompasses sector programs on water, forestry 

resources and Protected Areas, as well as the Federal Attorney on Environmental Protection. All 

of these programs are 1) mutually compatible and 2) aligned with the provisions of the PMA. 

The PMA’s ecological policy is based on six pillars: comprehensiveness, commitment on the 

part of federal government sectors, new management, valuing natural resources, compliance with 

the law and fighting environmental impunity, social participation and accountability.

The PMA is therefore defined by four strategic programs: 

1. Stopping and reversing the contamination of life-sustaining systems (water, air and soil)

2. Stopping and reversing the loss of natural capital 

3. Conserving ecosystems and biodiversity

4. Promoting sustainable development

Due to the very newness of the green building concept, the PMA makes no mention of it. That 

said, the PMA establishes a general framework for action in which green building approaches are 

fully compatible with its vision. The PMA establishes, among other orientations, the need to 

foster an ecological culture that contributes to good stewardship of the environment, ensures that 

cities, beaches and rural areas are kept clean, and promotes environmentally rational waste 

management. The PMA also proposes a new model in favor of cities that are more human, less 

congested and less polluted. To this end, it recommends encouraging scientific research and 

technological innovation to stimulate experimentation and the development of clean production 

processes and technologies.

 7 Secretaría de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales, Programa Nacional de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales 2001– 2006, 

Síntesis ejecutiva, 2001, Mexico.
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The PMA includes targets on reducing the levels of air, water and soil pollution, as well as on 

reversing the loss of natural capital (water resources, forests, jungles and wildlife). Advocating 

adoption of green building would constitute a significant contribution to achieving these aims.

The environment sector’s instrument for land use planning and action is known as the Program 

for Environmental Land Use Planning (Programa de Ordenamiento Ecológico del Territorio—

POET). Compared with the PDUs described above, POET is a relatively new instrument, one 

that dates back to the first version of the General Law on Ecological Balance and Environmental 

Protection (Ley General del Equilibrio Ecológico y la Protección al Ambiente), enacted on 28 

January 1988. 

Like PDUs, POETs also encompass three jurisdictions: the national, which is a federal 

responsibility (exercised by Semarnat); the regional, which is under the purview of the state 

governments; and the local, which is the bailiwick of municipal governments. POETs establish 

land use and building regulations, as well as spatial planning. Both instruments, PDUs and 

POETs, regulate the same areas. However, their methodologies differ, as do their areas of focus:8

the former attends to social concerns while the latter deals with environmental issues.

In concluding this section, one issue stands out: the need to increase the presence of green 

building in national environmental policy. Progress could be made if this concern is indeed 

incorporated into the national strategy of the upcoming PMP, along with several of its ancillary 

programs (Environmental Land Use Planning, Environmental Impacts and Research), and in 

regulations as well.

Recommendations

• Include in the 2007–2012 PMA a section establishing, in detail, the commitments to be 

assumed by the environment sector in relation to green building. In addition to developing 

the standards and regulations establishing the basic mandatory environmental standards for 

future building projects in the country, signals must be given on the actions needed to 

promote the voluntary adoption of more efficient environmental standards in the construction 

sector. It would be advisable to offer innovative economic instruments to real estate 

developers that would make it economically viable to adopt lower environmental impact 

construction materials, equipment and systems. For example, exemptions could be granted 

regarding the requirement to produce an Environmental Impact Statement (Manifestación de 

Impacto Environmental) for real estate developments that have already demonstrated 

compliance with established quality standards, i.e., which have been certified as green 

building projects.

• That the environmental land use planning done in priority urban development zones (i.e., 

mainly tourist areas) incorporate criteria, such as certification of environmental quality, of 

benefit to the market for green real estate development projects.

 8 This situation has given rise to conflicts between federal and municipal authorities in both sectors, i.e., urban development and 

environment. A major example of this type of conflict was the one opposing the municipal authorities of Isla Mujeres, in the state 

of Quintana Roo, and Semarnat, due to the differences between their respective regulations in a fragile coastal zone populated by 

fauna not covered by any category of protection. A ruling by the Supreme Court was required to resolve this conflict.
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• Encourage organizations such as the National Ecology Institute (Instituto Nacional de 

Ecología) in the elaboration of the studies required to quantify the reductions in carbon 

emissions induced by green building, such that it may be possible to assign prices to these 

reductions in the carbon credits market.

II.4 National Energy Program, 2001–2006

This program9 is considered strategic for national development. First, because in Mexico energy 

generation is reserved for the public sector, and second, because the energy sector is an 

important part of the economy per se in that it provides society with an indispensable service and 

incorporates strategic value into all other sectors of the economy. This sector encompasses a 

broad spectrum of economic activities, from natural resources extraction to final uses in industry, 

services, the residential sector and transport. The energy program has two priorities: 1) ensure 

the efficient use of energy from conventional systems to make them environmentally acceptable 

and 2) encourage the development of renewable energies and emerging technologies.

Regarding the use of renewable energies for electricity generation—such as wind, solar or 

biomass—the program also proposes to introduce new energy storage and transportation 

systems, such as hydrogen, an energy vector applicable to both transportation and stationary 

uses, and to enhance the possibilities offered by innovative systems, such as fuel cells. The 

program’s section on renewable energies stresses that intensifying technological development 

requires research, in all its forms, and concrete demonstrations to facilitate adoption of new 

technologies in industry and, more generally, in the market as a whole. On this point, it’s also 

important to promote technology transfer to facilitate the incorporation of new and better 

processes and products that orient the construction industry towards adoption of sustainability 

standards.

Another strategic issue that could not fail to be included in the energy program are the Kyoto 

Protocol commitments assumed by Mexico on the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. This 

requires reducing the consumption of fossil fuels through the development of the fuels that 

generate the least emissions, increasing energy efficiency throughout the entire production and 

consumption cycle of conventional energies, and encouraging alternative technologies, 

renewable energies and nuclear energy, whether fission or fusion. Engaged in this commitment 

are pioneering groups such as those that have joined the movement to steer the construction 

sector towards green building.

Regarding technological development, the federal government’s Energy Secretariat has 

undertaken to continue with the progressive reduction of emissions of conventional combustion 

contaminants (sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, volatile hydrocarbons, solid particulates, etc.), 

through the development of technologies that improve the equipment used in energy 

transformation and utilization. These emissions particularly affect air quality in urban areas with 

high concentrations of industrial activity. Similar considerations obtain as regards water and soil 

contamination arising from energy production and transformation processes.

 9 Secretaría de Energía, Programa Sectorial de Energía 2001–2006, Mexico, 2001.
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As for the future, the program posits the use of conventional energies, with gradual adjustments, 

to the extent possible, towards criteria compatible with sustainable development. Apparently, the 

priorities are to optimize the conventional forms and uses of energy to render them cleaner and 

more efficient, and also to encourage the use of renewable energies and emerging technologies.

The conclusion that emerges from this program review is the full compatibility between its 

objectives and those of the green building movement. In effect, achieving the latter’s objectives 

would contribute to achieving the program’s objectives, in that both posit the urgency of 1) 

making more efficient use of conventional energy sources and 2) fostering the development of 

alternative and renewable sources.

Be that as it may, research and technological development must continue at every level of the 

energy cycle. Likewise, it’s vital to reduce individual consumption via the incorporation of new 

codes and standards on energy use and efficient energy management in green buildings.

Recommendations

• Continue research and technological development into sustainable energy at every stage of 

the production/consumption cycle to encourage the generation and use of alternative energies 

in buildings, principally those using renewable resources. Other goals include ensuring more 

efficient energy use and achieving residual carbon-neutral emissions, thus averting the 

environmental and ecological impacts of traditional production systems, such as thermal 

electric power plants.

• Promote cooperation agreements and technological exchanges with the other countries in the 

region on the challenges to be met regarding efficient energy management in buildings.

• Promote differential rates and fiscal and credit incentives that benefit consumers who can 

show that they’ve adopted energy generating or saving systems. The greater the savings, the 

greater the support and the greater the environmental and economic benefits.

II.5 National Housing Program, 2001–2006 

Housing is one of the main priorities of social policy, as it constitutes a fundamental element in 

the well being of families due to the security and sense of belonging and identity that it provides. 

That said, in 1999 the National Housing Program (Programa Sectorial de Vivienda—PSV)10

noted an accumulated deficit of six million dwellings—along with the need to build 700 

thousand new housing units per year to reduce the backlog and satisfy new demand. By the year 

2010, the total housing stock must increase from 22 million housing units (in 1999) to 30.2 

million units.

The plan’s housing policy has two main components: 1) in conjunction with national and local 

housing organizations, strengthen coordination between the three levels of government and 2) 

 10 Comisión Nacional de Fomento a Vivienda, Programa Sectorial de Vivienda 2001–2006, Resumen Ejecutivo, Mexico, 2001.
Background Paper 3a—Institutional Efforts for Green Building: The Case of Mexico 15

widen coverage, mainly in social housing, through the participation of the public, social and 

private sectors.

The plan’s strategic orientations are: institution building; improving and broadening financing 

services; deregulation and streamlining of bureaucratic processes; ensuring an accessible and 

sufficient supply of urban land; renovation and self-help housing; and encouraging technological 

development. Due to the vital importance of the latter element for the housing sector, it will 

surely be reincorporated into the new 2007–2012 version of the plan. Consequently, it will be 

feasible to have enhanced technology transfer recognized as a necessity of the different 

stakeholders involved in developing the green building sector. 

Furthermore, the housing plan mentions, as an action for the short run, promoting the 

modernization of construction and development regulations, including those on the use of local 

construction materials and processes. In this regard, organizing forums, courses and seminars on 

green building has been important, which suggests that it is equally important to continue in the 

same vein so that in the medium term such efforts shall translate into regulations that are 

technically, socially and environmentally efficient.

The National Housing Development Commission (Comisión Nacional de Fomento a Vivienda—

Conafovi)11 has taken a first step in this direction with its Housing Construction Code (Código 

para la Edificación de Vivienda), a compendium of the regulatory instruments, with defined

standards, in force in the country’s different states and municipalities. The aim of this initiative is 

to initiate analysis and discussion of these standards in the interests of harmonizing the 

regulations in the different states and municipalities—while respecting these jurisdictions’ 

autonomy and taking into account their particular characteristics (i.e., location specific 

bioclimactic, physical, technological, social, economic and cultural conditions).

Given the housing sector’s present growth trends (and their expected continuation in the coming 

years), if the object is to obtain more and better results in terms of green building, one must 

propose that Conafovi establish medium-term targets—while maintaining a long-term 

perspective.

This strategy must also consider incorporating all stakeholders. The financial sector in particular 

is very important. It must be persuaded to participate via innovative market-based instruments. 

Hence the importance of learning about and disseminating the pertinent experiences in countries 

like Canada and the United States, as well as those in other parts of the world.

It would also be advisable to support Conafovi in the elaboration of its Guides, in particular, its 

Housing Construction Code. Moreover, this effort may be complemented by drawing lessons 

from domestic and foreign experiences, and by extending and promoting collaboration with 

academics, researchers, construction entrepreneurs, politicians and others. The purpose of such 

efforts: to generate, in the short-term, building regulations that are socially useful, technically 

solid and environmentally sustainable. In this regard, it recommended that a special section be 

proposed for inclusion in building regulations.

 11 Comisión Nacional de Fomento a Vivienda, Hacia un Código de Edification de Vivienda, Mexico, May 2005.
Background Paper 3a—Institutional Efforts for Green Building: The Case of Mexico 16

Recommendations

• That the 2007–2012 PSV incorporate strategies with specific medium-term targets to induce 

quantifiable results in sustainable housing actions by 2030.

• Establish strategies to disseminate information among the different stakeholders in the 

housing construction process on the experiences in the planning and development of 

sustainable building projects in other cities, both in Mexico and abroad.

• Integrate an open information system, shared with the other countries of the region, on the 

state of sustainable housing in Mexico, which shall include performance indices and 

indicators.

• Establish exchange and cooperation agreements with Canada and the United States on 

scientific research and technological development in relation to green building.

II.6 Urban Development Plans or Programs 

In Mexico, under the General Planning Act, municipal governments have the authority to plan 

land use in their own territories. Local governments have two planning instruments at their 

disposal: 1) the municipal development plans (planes municipales de desarrollo—PMD), which 

are part of the National Planning System and structured much like national and state 

development plans, and 2) the urban development plans (planes de desarrollo urbano—PDU), 

applicable to large population centers. The PMD sets the objectives, strategies and targets that a 

municipal administration undertakes to achieve, and, consequently serves as the basis for 

programming municipal public spending. The PDU is an instrument for regulating the growth of 

cities and the development of urban activities and building projects. Consequently, the 

application of a PDU affects society in its entirety, including the administrative functions of all 

three levels of government. 

As for the elaboration and execution of plans or programs exceeding the boundaries of a given 

municipality—as happens in the case of conurbations—participants shall include the municipal 

governments concerned, in coordination with the relevant state government, and, should the 

national interest be at issue, the federal government may also intervene.

For such local planning to acquire legitimacy, The General Planning Act stipulates that civil 

society must be informed and that it must grant its approval. This is accomplished through open 

public consultation meetings. Following the consultation process—and integration of the 

resulting improvements, plans and programs are submitted for approval to the local legislature or 

town council. Once approved they are published in diarios oficiales (the Official Gazette) as well 

as in the local newspaper with the largest circulation. This planning instrument exists in 

practically all municipalities considered urban areas (i.e. with populations above 10,000).

Urban plans are generally composed of two parts: a main document and a cartographic appendix. 

The main document is usually divided into three sections: 1) “Diagnosis and Prognosis,” 2) 

“Strategy” and 3) a list of the instruments required to execute the plan.
Background Paper 3a—Institutional Efforts for Green Building: The Case of Mexico 17

The “Diagnosis and Prognosis” includes a characterization of the territory covered by the plan 

and the foreseeable trends in the short, medium and long runs, regarding: a) the physical 

environment (geography, geology, topography, pedology, hydrology and climate); b) the biotic 

environment (flora and fauna, and significant natural areas, including those under environmental 

protection); c) social and economic issues, including demographic trends; and d) urban issues 

(housing, roads, infrastructure, transportation, services and land uses). A major part of this 

section is concerned with urban assessments, including a summary of the city’s priority issues 

and challenges (including risk factors) in relation to the areas where it is lagging (e.g., attention 

to public services).

Based on the information contained in the diagnosis and prognosis, and in the various 

foreseeable scenarios, the plan’s “Strategy” section establishes an objective portrait. This in turn 

is the starting point for the comprehensive elaboration of a land use planning proposal that 

designates areas for different urban land uses, environmental conservation, growth in population 

centers, regional road networks, primary infrastructure networks and regional installations. 

In addition, a master plan is elaborated, on a cartographic scale with greater detail, to indicate 

permitted, prohibited and mixed land uses, densities, urban centers and subcenters, 

neighborhoods, the primary and secondary road system, urban installations and public services. 

An indispensable element of the land use strategy are the urban development standards and 

criteria applicable to the urban strategies posited. Such standards and criteria include: maximum 

permitted heights, beams, building façades (e.g., permitted coverings on fronts, backs and sides 

of buildings), land use restrictions, building densities, land uses adjacent to urban corridors, 

criteria on urban centers, subcenters and heritage areas, permitted and prohibited installations, 

nomenclature, commercial signage, urban image, public uses, greenspaces, public and private 

parking lots, transportation, etc. Thus, this section may deal with urban zones or corridors as well 

as urban criteria and standards to encourage green building. In conclusion, it presents the works, 

services and actions required to attend to both the problems and issues identified in the diagnosis 

and to satisfy the expected demand driven by demographic growth.

The third and final part of any Urban Development Plan concerns the instruments that will be 

used to carry out the proposed urban strategy, including the different stakeholders, from the 

public, private and social sectors, who must contribute if the plan’s targets are to be achieved. 

The list of instruments includes actions carried out with public funds, actions requiring the 

municipal government to act in coordination with the other levels of government, and actions 

whose realization requires roundtable collaboration with the business community, civil society 

organizations, academia, the financial sector, and even political groups or parties. The proper 

elaboration of this section of the plan is of vital importance to the successful (middling or failed) 

execution of the plan’s posited strategy. This section may set policy on issues such as: the 

procedure for transferring development rights from one urban zone to another, urban renewal 

practices and policies, urban areas designated for the development of green building projects or 

rooftop gardens, etc.

Given that the implementation of green building projects depends in the end on the 

municipalities, as the jurisdictions with the authority to approve building projects, it is suggested 
Background Paper 3a—Institutional Efforts for Green Building: The Case of Mexico 18

that they be informed and their participation fostered by way of conferences, workshops, 

symposia, forums, roundtables, etc. The goal being to encourage interest in green building and 

foster the sharing of experiences.

Such would facilitate proposing urban land use planning instruments to encourage the adoption 

of pro-green building strategies, such as systems for transferring development rights, and special 

development zones with specific land use standards favoring the application of green building 

quality standards. Likewise, the issuance of construction permits could be used as an instrument 

to ensure oversight of compliance with the applicable regulations—for example, the standard on 

energy efficiency in building shells. 

Recommendations

• Continue research and technological development into sustainable energy at every stage of 

the production/consumption cycle to encourage the generation and use of alternative energies 

in buildings, principally those using renewable resources. Other goals include ensuring more 

efficient energy use and achieving residual carbon-neutral emissions, thus averting the 

environmental and ecological impacts of traditional production systems, such as thermal 

electric power plants.

• Promote cooperation agreements and technological exchanges with the other countries in the 

region on the challenges to be met regarding efficient energy management in buildings.

• Promote differential rates and fiscal and credit incentives that benefit consumers who can 

show that they’ve adopted energy generating or saving systems. The greater the savings, the 

greater the support and the greater the environmental and economic benefits.
Background Paper 3a—Institutional Efforts for Green Building: The Case of Mexico 19

III. Elements of Sustainability in Building Codes

The Constitution of the United States of Mexico (Section 115, paragraph II) grants municipalities 

the power to plan and regulate land use and building projects, manage land banks, intervene in 

the regularization of land tenancy, grant construction licenses and permits, and issue regulations 

and other provisions on public utilities as well as provide these latter services to the community. 

Moreover, to a large extent, these activities are carried out in accordance with the regulations 

stemming from municipal urban development plans and programs, municipal environmental land 

use planning and building codes, etc. 

Building codes codify the requirements applicable to the actions of building, making an addition 

to, modifying or changing the use of a property or of its ownership status, or renovating or 

demolishing a building. However, building codes do not consider urban planning issues.

Until two decades ago, the elaboration of building codes was the responsibility of state 

governments. The role of municipalities was to see to their application, a situation that is 

changing, due to the amendment of Section 115. Presently, whereas every state government in 

Mexico has its own building code, the same may be said of just 72 of the country’s 2,435 

municipalities (plus 16 boroughs in the Federal District). In a word, less than 3 percent of the 

municipalities in the entire country have their own building codes, as distinct from those of their 

respective state governments. 

A characteristic of the most recently updated building codes (those of the Federal District and the 

State of Mexico, for example) is the tendency to consign technical standards to appendices 

separate from the main body of the building code, such that only administrative type regulations 

and the general rules remain in the main text.12

Present Status of Municipal Building Codes in Mexico13

State Num. State Num. State Num. State Num.

Aguascalientes

Baja California

Baja California Sur

Campeche

Coahuila

Colima

Chiapas

Chihuahua

-

1

-

-

1

4

8

4

Federal District 

Durango

Guanajuato

Guerrero

Hidalgo 

Jalisco

México

Michoacán

-

1

5

-

1

5

-

2

Morelos

Nayarit 

Nuevo León

Oaxaca

Puebla

Querétaro

Quintana Roo 

San Luis Potosí

7

2

6

-

-

-

5

-

Sinaloa

Sonora

Tabasco

Tamaulipas

Tlaxcala

Veracruz

Yucatán 

Zacatecas

2

2

11

-

-

2

3

-

Moreover, great similarity is apparent between the administrative and technical requirements 

contained in building codes. For example, whereas the former generally deal with permits and 

licenses for private building projects or for the utilization of public thoroughfares, the latter 

specify characteristics in relation to habitability, structural security and functional aspects. In 

some municipalities, the technical issues are appended to the building code as complementary 

technical standards. Building codes typically contain the following provisions:

 12 In the Building Code of the Federal District, the specific regulations are contained in nine books, composed of 19 volumes.

13 Interpretation of information obtained from Conafovi. See bibliography.
Background Paper 3a—Institutional Efforts for Green Building: The Case of Mexico 20

 Administrative provisions in relation to proprietors

 Procedures for registering the names of the project manager and the other professionals in 

charge of project execution

 Required information on project scope and content when submitting a building project 

(e.g., habitability and functioning)

 Technical criteria for structural design calculations (e.g., seismic activity, wind).

 Mandatory fire prevention measures and measures for bringing fires under control

 Requirements to be satisfied during project execution 

As may be seen, the issues covered vary widely. Moreover, some, which haven’t been amended 

for many years, either are no longer in force or do not take into consideration the provisions in 

other statutes—for example, urban development, human settlement and environmental land use 

planning laws—or those in Mexican Official Standards.

In addition to building codes, building projects are also subject to a vast tangle of regulations, 

contained in diverse laws and regulations on: urban development, environmental protection, 

rights of disabled persons, subdivisions, civil protection, housing, the protection and 

conservation of monuments, potable water and sewer systems, zoning, environmental impact, 

urban impact, etc. Moreover, builders must respect other statutes such as: zoning by-laws and the 

rules in urban development programs, environmental land use planning (where it exists) and 

Mexican Official Standards. It is through the latter that the Mexican government establishes the 

rules on building design and construction, on energy efficiency, electricity, gas installations, the 

use and consumption of natural resources (such as water), liquid and solid waste management, 

etc.

Given this diversity, it’s necessary to systematize the regulatory information generated by the 

three levels of government. Moreover, it is recommended that a section be incorporated into 

building codes which shall refer to this regulatory information system so as to enable builders to 

stay up to date. Moreover, more must be done to disseminate the NOMs applicable to building 

projects, both in the administrative agencies of state and local governments responsible for 

granting construction permits, as well as in the universities and professional colleges that train 

project managers and other project management professionals.

As for the general public, its lack of familiarity with the existing range of regulations is quite 

apparent—to which must be added the lack of sufficient information available to the individuals 

promoting the execution of any given construction project. It is common for such individuals to 

think that to go ahead with a building project one need only comply with the provisions of the 

building code. In fact, even some professionals entrusted with elaborating or coordinating a 

construction project hold the same belief. However, this is not the case. As mentioned, building 

codes only cover some of the issues to be complied with, notably habitability and structural 

security. In other words they are in fact complemented by other provisions. 

To ensure compliance with this panoply of laws, regulations, standards and technical criteria, the 

provisions of building codes require that project managers and other project management 
Background Paper 3a—Institutional Efforts for Green Building: The Case of Mexico 21

officials oversee compliance with all regulations. Hence the need to constantly update such 

professionals.

Given their key role in building projects, said professionals must assume their responsibilities in 

the face of the grave environmental crisis afflicting our planet. They must change their practices 

and adopt emerging measures to avoid the continued use of environmentally harmful 

construction systems, procedures and materials. It is no longer tenable to defer the adoption of 

clean practices such as the ones the CEC is promoting with green building. To this end, courses, 

seminars, workshops and other formal and informal educational activities should be encouraged 

to foster a new culture in the construction sector, one which will, in the short run, translate into 

the training of new professionals committed to sustainable development.

During a construction project, building codes require the maintaining of a project log to record 

observations, corrections, approvals and instructions from the Project Manager (PM) to the 

building contractor; an original numbered copy of this project log must, without fail, accompany 

the Project Completion Certificate, which is signed by the proprietor or his legal representative 

and the PM so that the competent local authority may grant the occupancy permit. Upon the 

project’s conclusion, the PM delivers to the proprietor the original copies of the official final 

drawings of the completed project, the project log and the daily calculations log, while keeping a 

complete set of copies of these documents. Failure to comply shall result in fines for the 

proprietor and the PM. Observation of these rules contributes to ensuring quality services and 

works. It is proposed that an assessment be made of the advisability of 1) incorporating the 

monitoring and certification of the environmental quality of green buildings in the overall project 

monitoring procedure14 and 2) giving PMs the authority to act in this area, a step which would 

simplify progress in this regard.

In Mexico as a whole, the situation remains very diverse; according to Conafovi,15 in 2005, there 

were 104 building codes in the country: 72 municipal codes and 32 state codes. These 104 codes 

differ substantially in content and in their date of elaboration. Other sources consulted in 2007 

refer to 120 building codes in force, which remains a very small number.

Along with its other activities, Conafovi is attempting to address this problem by elaborating 

technical guides16 intended for use by the different actors in the construction sector and by local 

governments as they formulate their building codes.

Finally, in addition to building regulations, some Mexican states also have Public Works 

Regulations designed to regulate spending and activities in relation to the planning, 

programming, budgeting, execution and/or preservation of municipal public works.

This type of regulation identifies the agencies that must be a party to the execution of public 

works projects and the conditions that shall govern this participation. These regulations stipulate 

 14 Such as the ones presently carried out by the Federal Attorney for Environmental Protection.

15 See the table entitled “Present situation of municipal building codes in Mexico”, page 20 of the present document. 16 The National Housing Commission has published guides with sustainability criteria to be applied in housing construction on 

issues such as efficient water and energy use, and design of greenspaces. See bibliography. This section was written using this 

documentation.
Background Paper 3a—Institutional Efforts for Green Building: The Case of Mexico 22

that all works shall be subject to the provisions of the municipal budget or to the agreements that 

the municipality concludes with the state government.

Under the law, in complying with such Public Works Regulations, the builder must also comply 

with the legal provisions stipulated in urban development and environmental programs.

In conclusion, two major issues emerge in this section: 1) the near total absence of building 

codes with regulations corresponding to the particular conditions in each municipality and 2) the 

lack of an up-to-date and comprehensive vision that takes account of the vast range of existing 

regulations and responds to the vital issues of the day for the community. Among such issues are 

the ones stemming from the complex environmental problems affecting the planet’s 

sustainability, including the importance of progressively reducing the environmental impact of 

buildings and building projects.

For these reasons, it is suggested that a federal program be established to strengthen the 

environmental performance of medium-size and priority cities with mandated resources to 

support municipal authorities as they elaborate or update their building regulations to incorporate 

a specific section on the technical specifications of sustainability standards for construction 

projects.

Another suggestion would be to explore, together with the professional associations and colleges 

of architects, engineers and other professionals involved in the construction sector, as well as the 

competent authorities, the possibility of instituting a new specialization among project 

management professionals, namely the responsibility for guaranteeing full compliance with 

environmental regulations and for developing and maintaining green buildings. Furthermore, 

another important and urgent task is to disseminate and share experiences among sector 

specialists on promoting the qualitative and quantitative changes required in construction 

practices.

III.1 Building Codes and Local Zoning 

In Mexico, there still exists no organization or entity capable of integrating, systemizing and 

standardizing the enormous number of construction and zoning by-laws and criteria in force in 

the country’s different localities and municipalities. Conafovi made an initial attempt to identify 

the criteria and bases needed to systemize this corpus of information with the publication of 

Hacia un código de edificación de vivienda (“Towards a Housing Building Code”).17

This section presents a summary of the existing standards in Mexico. A careful and systematic 

review of same may contribute to the systemizing of the measures to be used in the certification 

of green building projects.

 17 Comisión Nacional de Fomento a Vivienda, Hacia un código de edification de vivienda, Mexico, 2005.
Background Paper 3a—Institutional Efforts for Green Building: The Case of Mexico 23

Standards in Local Planning Instruments 

in Mexico

INSTRUMENT TYPE OF STANDARD

Urban Development Plans and 

Environmental Land Use Programs 

Land use standards:

Zoning and land use:

• Permitted uses 

• Prohibited uses 

• Restricted uses

• Installations

• Public thoroughfares

• Restricted zones (rights of way, rivers, risk zones, natural areas, 

etc.)

• Urban corridors 

Construction regulations:

• Open area

• Height

• Building densities

• Housing density

• Façades

• Landscaping

• Installations

Regulations for buildings:

• Lot divisions, amalgamations, divisions and subdivisions

• Open areas 

Instruments for promoting development:

• Transfer of development rights

• Increases in permitted densities

• Fiscal incentives 

 Acquired rights 

 Special development zones 
Background Paper 3a—Institutional Efforts for Green Building: The Case of Mexico 24

Building Codes Administrative provisions:

• General provisions

• Public thoroughfares and common spaces 

• Alignment and official number 

• Project Managers and other project officials

• Requirements for the granting of licenses:

 Construction

 Demolition

 Subdivision

 Amalgamation

 Housing complex

 Division

• Requirements for considering a architectural project:

 Project requirements

 Habitability and building function requirements

 Sanitation, services and environmental conditioning 

 Re communications and prevention of emergencies

 Re integration into the local context and urban image 

 Re installations

• Structural safety 

• Construction

• Use, operation and maintenance of constructions

• Additions

• Demolitions

• Site

• Safety

• Inspection and fines

Building Codes

(appendices)

Technical construction standards and specifications:

• Re design

 Dimensions

 Habitable space 

 Structures and foundations

 Installations

 Lighting

 Ventilation

 Adjacent areas

 Parking lots

 Comfort

 Greenspaces 

 Others

• Re construction

 Plotting, leveling and excavations

 Bricklaying and finishing

 Structures

 Hydraulic installations

 Sanitary installations 

 Air conditioning

 Special installations 

 Ironwork

 Carpentry

 Architectural image 

 Gardening

 Others
Background Paper 3a—Institutional Efforts for Green Building: The Case of Mexico 25

Minimum lot sizes. Among the aspects to be considered in establishing quality standards for 

building green housing are the minimum permissible sizes in lot divisions. The following table 

presents the minimum lot sizes allowed by building codes in Mexico.

Minimum Dimensions of Lots in Mexico

per Type of Housing Unit18

Type Minimum dimensions 

Social/low-income housing 

Frontage

Area

Between 3 and 10 m (typical case: 7 m)

Between 75 and 180 m2 (typical case: 90 m2)

Intermediate housing

Frontage

Area

Between 8 and 10 m (typical case: 8 m)

Between 120 and 250 m2 (typical case: 160 m2)

Standard housing 

Frontage

Area

Between 9 and 20 m (typical case: 12 m)

Between 150 and 525 m2 (typical case: 300 m2)

Another indicator of the degree of comfort in housing units in Mexico are the minimum 

dimensions permitted by regulations per type of lot:

Minimum Dimensions of Lots in Mexico

per Type of Lot

Type Minimum dimensions

Single-family lot 

Frontage

Back

Area

Between 4 and 8 m (typical case: 6 m)

Between 8.13 and 20 m2 (typical case: 15 m2)

Between 32.5 and 160 m2 (typical case: 90 m2)

Duplex 

Frontage

Back

Area

Between 6 and 14 m (typical case: 9 m)

Between 8.13 and 20 m2 (typical case: 15 m2)

Between 62.57 and 210 m2 (typical case: 135 m2)

Heights. It should also be mentioned, that to some extent, differences exist in minimum height 

regulations in housing. Thus, in states with temperate climates, such as the Federal District, 

Tlaxcala, Nuevo León, Durango, etc., the minimum height is 2.30 meters. In contrast, in states 

with hot climates (Baja California Sur, Morelos, Chihuahua, Colima, Campeche) the minimum is 

at least 2.40 meters, and may be as high as 2.60 meters (Quintana Roo). 

 18 Ibid.
Background Paper 3a—Institutional Efforts for Green Building: The Case of Mexico 26

Minimum habitable space. As for regulations on habitable space, the minimum permissible floor 

space varies from 6 to 20 m2, with 13.60 m2 as the typical case (e.g., for living room/dining 

room), although the minimum for bedrooms is lower (6 m2). The smallest permitted floor space 

applies to bathrooms: i.e., 1.1 square meters.

Lighting and ventilation. The standard used in building codes to determine minimum areas in 

terms of natural lighting is the percentage of the total floor space. As for the minimum in terms 

of natural ventilation, the relevant indicator is the percentage of the illuminated surface (i.e., total 

surface area of windows). The results emerging from analysis of these minima are counterintuitive: illuminated and ventilated areas do not correlate with climatic conditions. Thus, in 

localities with hot climates like Uruapan and Lázaro Cárdenas, Michoacán, the ventilation 

percentage (4.17 percent) is lower than in localities with temperate climates like Guanajuato 

(4.76 percent); certain states with temperate climates like Nuevo León have very high ventilation 

percentages (50 percent), the most extreme case being that of Coahuila, where the ventilated area 

equals the illuminated area: i.e., 20 percent of the total floor space.

Minimum Dimensions 

for Lighting and Natural Ventilation 

Type Minimum dimensions 

Electric lighting Between 1 and 2.5 m2 (typical case: 2.5 m2)

Natural lighting Between 5 and 25 percent of floor space (typical case: 20 

percent)

Natural ventilation Between 4.17 and 100 percent of surface area of windows 

(typical case: 50 percent)

Roadways. Regulations and regulatory specifications in respect of roadways tend to be similar. 

Clearly, environmental, natural resources or climatological issues are not considered in 

construction regulations with respect to roadway design and selection of construction materials. 

These criteria are found in local urban development programs, principally in environmental land 

use programs. Unfortunately, these latter are in force in very few localities, the main exceptions 

being coastal tourist areas. Less than comprehensive urban image programs and urban image 

regulations also exist, mainly in heritage rich areas (Guanajuato, Querétaro, Zacatecas, Morelia, 

the central part of Mexico City, Taxco, etc.).

Minimum Dimensions of Roadways

Type Minimum sections Sidewalks: minimum width

Avenues

60 KPH

Between 16 and 22 m (typically, 

20 m)

Between 2.5 and 3 m (typically, 

3 m)

Primary street

50 KPH

Between 13 and 21 m (typically, 

16 m)

Between 2 and 3 m (typically, 

2.5 m)

Secondary street Between 12 and 18 m (typically, Between 1.5 and 2.5 m 
Background Paper 3a—Institutional Efforts for Green Building: The Case of Mexico 27

40 KPH 12 m) (typically, 2.5 m)

Local street 

30 KPH

12 meters Between 1.5 and 2.5 m 

(typically, 1.5 m)

Closed street 

20 KPH

9 meters (at the discretion of 

municipal governments)

Between 1.2 and 2 m (typically, 

1.5 m)

Laneway Between 4 and 8 m (typically, 6 

m)

–

Parking spaces. Although differences do exist in minimum parking space sizes from one set of 

regulations to another, these are minimal, as may be seen below.

Dimensions of Parking Spaces

Type Minimum dimensions 

Perpendicular parking

Light truck

Regular

Compact car

Disabled

5.50 x 2.50

5.00 x 2.40

4.20 x 2.20

5.00 x 3.80

Parallel parking

Light truck

Regular

Compact car

Disabled

6.00 x 2.50

6.00 x 2.40

4.80 x 2.00

6.00 x 3.60

Water consumption. As a consequence of the growth in large population centers in the world 

over the last century, the available information informs us that, today, half of the planet’s 

inhabitants live with water shortage problems—defined as less than 5,000 m3 of water available 

per capita/per annum—due to the low availability of this resource. Mexico has passed the 

threshold from moderate availability (between 5,000 and 10,000 m3 of water per capita/per 

annum) to low availability: i.e., an average of 4.9 m3.

Moreover, this situation is worsening as the volume of water available is diminishing, due, 

notoriously, to the intense contamination of receiving bodies by discharges of human, 

agricultural and industrial wastes. The National Water Commission (Comisión National del 

Agua—CNA), the organization responsible for managing this resource in Mexico, estimates that 

in December 2003, the country’s municipal sewer systems collected 203 m3 of wastewaters per 

second, of which only 29.7 percent was treated; as for industry, the reported volume was 171 m3

per second, of which just 15.3 percent was treated.

Concerning the distribution of this resource, two phenomena are apparent. First, water has 

traditionally been considered a common good, abundant and accessible to all at low prices or 

even free of charge. Consequently, it was perceived as an inexhaustible resource—and as a waste 

product once it had been used. This is a culture that needs to be changed. Second, this resource is 

unequally distributed. Thus, a low-income family consumes an average of 5 to 7 m3 per month. 
Background Paper 3a—Institutional Efforts for Green Building: The Case of Mexico 28

In effect, such populations live on the outskirts of cities where municipal waterworks do not exist 

and water distribution is by means of water tankers and bottles. As a result, water may cost as 

much as 40 pesos per m3. In contrast, populations connected to the municipal water and drainage 

systems consume a daily average of 200 liters per capita and pay generally much lower charges: 

78 centavos per m3. Thus, a family of five that consumes 30 m3 per month pays a monthly water 

bill of 23.47 pesos, an amount far less than the 1,200 pesos it would pay if the rate were 40 pesos 

per m3.

As for water delivered through municipal waterworks, costs vary in accordance with the 

particular characteristics of each urban area. In effect, a number of factors interact: distance and 

type of water catchment, piping, drinking water treatment, the urban fabric, topography and soil 

type. Consequently, the cost per cubic meter of water runs from a minimum of 2.02 pesos to a 

maximum of 8.20 pesos. A similar situation prevails regarding drainage systems: costs of these 

services run from 1.00 to 1.80 pesos per cubic meter. Finally, sanitation costs may vary from 

1.00 to 2.40 pesos. Consequently, the total cost of services varies between 4.02 and 12.40 pesos 

per cubic meter.

Daily Consumption Per Capita (in liters), According to Socioeconomic Class 

Climate Standard Intermediate Popular

Hot (above 22° C) 400 230 185

Moderately hot (18-22° C) 300 205 130

Temperate (12-17.9° C) 250 195 100

Cold (under 12° C) 250 195 100

Average consumption in the country is 223 liters per day, per capita, a figure that drops to 190 

liters in the Federal District. Water use in the metropolitan area is broken down as follows: 40 

percent for lavatories, 30 percent for showers, 15 percent for washing machines, 6 percent for 

food preparation and 5 percent for human consumption.

Solid municipal wastes. It is estimated that 31.5 million tons of solid municipal wastes were 

produced in Mexico in the year 2001. The states in the central part of the country accounted for 

50 percent, while the Federal District and the northern states (border cities excluded) produced 

14 percent and 19 percent, respectively.

Garbage collection services in Mexico have improved significantly: 84.6 percent of all garbage 

generated is now collected. 

The percentage of municipal solid wastes generated in the country apt for recycling is 28.7 

percent. While exact figures on the amount recycled are unknown, it is known that only 8.2 

percent of the possible total is actually recovered in sanitary landfills. The rest is recovered in 

containers and garbage trucks. It is estimated that the total recycling rate in the country fluctuates 

between 8 and 12 percent, which signifies significant lags in recycling, compost production, and 

biomass energy recovery and generation.
Background Paper 3a—Institutional Efforts for Green Building: The Case of Mexico 29

Municipal domestic energy consumption. In Mexico, energy consumption is growing in relation 

to higher levels of personal comfort. Needs have expanded progressively, as have the dimensions 

and the context of the locales where economic activities take place. The tertiary sector—retail 

outlets, offices, schools, hospitals, hotels, banks and restaurants—has become predominant. 

Moreover, new centers of economic activity have emerged in regions with hot climates, a 

development that brings more housing construction to these areas along with the attendant 

increases in the demand for energy. It is in these hot climates where the demand for energy is the 

strongest, exceeding that of areas with temperate climates by a 4:3 ratio. 

As for electricity generation, 75 percent comes from fossil fuels, which have a major 

environmental impact. For each kWh generated, a fuel-oil plant produces 1-kg of CO2 emissions 

and a combined-cycle plant, 0.6 kilograms.

Both the quantity and the type of energy consumed in the country’s housing units have a 

significant environmental impact in terms of phenomena such as the greenhouse effect and 

climate change. Population growth and growing urbanization produce major environmental 

impacts due to the direct energy consumption in housing and to the resulting increase in demand 

for electricity and fossil fuels. Growth in the housing sector, which is higher than in other 

sectors, is responsible for the construction of new power plants, which entails investing billions 

of dollars and important environmental impacts. That said, the domestic consumption of natural 

gas and LP gas has not grown significantly in 15 years.

In 2004, total energy consumption in the country was 4,141,352 petajoules. The housing, retail 

and public utilities sectors together accounted for 23 percent of this amount (873.4 pj); 83 

percent of this fraction corresponded to housing, 14 percent to the retail sector and 3 percent to 

public utilities. Electricity consumption in buildings in the services sector in Mexico is over 

25,000 GWh; in the housing sector it totals 42,000 GWh; and in the retail sector, 13,000 GWh. 

Today, buildings account for 19.7 percent of the country’s total energy consumption. Peak 

consumption hours are after nightfall due to lighting needs. The latter exceeds the demand for 

energy occasioned by air conditioning during the evening hours.

The breakdown of energy consumption in the housing sector is as follows: highest consumption 

is for cooking, next comes hot water and lighting, and in third place are appliances. It’s worth 

noting that energy consumption for air conditioning is greater in the northern regions and on the 

coasts, which have hot and dry and hot and humid climates, respectively. As a consequence, 

these areas occupy second place in terms of energy consumption.

In rural areas, firewood accounts for nearly 70 percent of residential energy consumption and is 

the principal source of energy for approximately 19 million Mexicans.

Regarding the existing regulations in the country, the Government of Mexico has evinced some 

concern in respect of tackling the issues of bioclimatic conditions and energy efficiency in urban 

design and housing. However, this concern has not translated into official norms or standards. To 

date, it has only resulted in booklets, manuals, leaflets and books of an academic or public 

education bent. This situation proved apparent upon review of several building codes. For 

example, it was found that no consideration was accorded to the particular conditions prevailing 
Background Paper 3a—Institutional Efforts for Green Building: The Case of Mexico 30

in the different bioclimatic regions that make up the national mosaic, nor were any parameters 

fixed to limit energy consumption or stimulate energy savings.

In a few of the country’s tourist and/or heritage zones and cities urban image programs do exist 

to foster a given urban and architectural design. In such cases inhabitants are required to 

incorporate bioclimatic considerations into building projects. Such considerations may concern 

textures and colors in façade and floor finishings, roofing materials and styles, vegetation 

management, window types/dimensions and ventilation criteria, optimal orientation of buildings, 

open spaces, public areas, greenspaces, etc. The following Conafovi datum is worth stressing: 

the energy consumption of a rural dwelling is triple that of an urban one due to the use of 

firewood and plant and mineral carbon in cooking and water heating. This consumption could be 

reduced substantially if more efficient sources of energy were used, such as renewables.

In conclusion, one might mention that due to climate change and growth patterns, in the near 

future the demand for electricity will grow as the services sector becomes the most dynamic part 

of the economy. An increase in the energy consumption of buildings is foreseeable. 

Consequently, measures are necessary to reduce consumption per unit—measures such as the 

ones recently adopted by the Mexican government in relation to building shell standards. The 

fostering of such measures in favor of green building is highly commendable.

Greenspaces and open spaces. In Mexico, the terms espacio natural (natural area or space), 

espacio abierto (open space) and área verde (greenspace) are generally used synonymously, but 

their meanings are not identical. Open space and greenspace begin as natural space, which is 

unbounded, infinite. Until the late nineteenth century it was held that it required no care or 

stewardship of any kind, since it was “the countryside” or nature itself.

The urbanization of contemporary society led to the overuse and exploitation of natural spaces. 

Cities sprawled out over the countryside, upsetting the physical and environmental balance of the 

natural environment.

In this context, contemporary society developed a new concept of open space, with different 

values determined by culture, geographical location, and historical epoch. 

By definition, open space is any outdoor, typically public space. This may be broken down into 

the major categories of inert open space (e.g., streets, squares, patios, benches, bicycle paths, 

parking) and greenspace (e.g., parks, gardens, flower beds, median dividers, ecological reserve 

areas). A third category is that of residual spaces carved out by intersecting roads, or lying under 

viaducts, high-tension lines, or along rights of way. Due to their relative inaccessibility, these 

spaces are infrequently used and therefore have no tangible value to the community. In many 

cases they suffer from lack of care, attention, and maintenance. The point to note is that open 

space is not synonymous with abandoned, residual, waste, or disused space; on the contrary, it is 

highly valuable due to its indispensable social and environmental role in harmonious urban 

development.

Urban greenspace plays an important environmental role as an “urban lung,” in that the 

vegetation found there purifies the air, allows for aquifer recharge, and serves as a link between 

human beings, the city and nature. Peri-urban or metropolitan forests are large spaces of this 
Background Paper 3a—Institutional Efforts for Green Building: The Case of Mexico 31

kind, while smaller ones include parks and large or household gardens, and greenery along roads, 

roundabouts, and parkways.

Though these areas provide vital environmental services to cities, they are increasingly scarce in 

our modern-day urban context. For example, the average area of parks, gardens, flower beds or 

median dividers, and landscaped roundabouts or intersections in the national capital is 2.3 m2 per 

inhabitant,19 whereas the UN recommends 16 m2 per inhabitant and other international standards 

call for 9 m2. The scarcity of these spaces leads to their overuse and an alarming degradation in 

their quality. 

The sum total of greenspaces and inert spaces make up the open space within the urban fabric, 

and even vacant lots, landfills, and residual spaces form a part of a whole whose use must be 

planned and made an object of study. An example of the management of these spaces in our 

country is the redesign of the lands once occupied by a sanitary landfill in Santa Fe, within the 

Mexico City urban zone, into greenspace, thus fulfilling environmental and landscaping 

functions simultaneously. 

The automobile contends with humans for dominion over urban open spaces. Cities are modified 

to facilitate car travel and parking, resulting in an enormous loss of greenspace. The 

redensification of urbanized areas that already possess infrastructure and services also 

accelerates the loss of open space; the shortage of lots on which to develop various kinds of 

buildings causes continual change in the urban fabric. Real-estate market pressures are major 

drivers of these changes and urban open spaces are always quick to disappear, despite the 

technical specifications set out in building codes and urban plans, which have not failed to 

protect them. 

Society must recognize the aggregate value of open spaces, such that they truly form a part of the 

cultural baggage of the city; as long as open space remains divorced from its specific qualities of 

form, function, and meaning, its use and conservation will always be truncated. If cities have a 

minimum of open space, it should at the very least be of a quality sufficient to uphold these 

values. 

The high real-estate value of urban lots is an obstacle to efforts to expand greenspace in the city. 

Consequently, city residents experience a gradual loss of such spaces. The environmental 

implications of this pattern include abrupt changes in urban microclimates, higher temperatures, 

and severe harm to human health, among many others conducive to global climate change. In 

reaction to the gradual loss of urban greenspace, the concept of green roofs has been making 

some headway in Mexico. One of the few notable examples is Technical Secondary School 28 in 

Xochimilco, Mexico City, which inculcates a culture of environmental awareness in its students 

and whose building boasts a green roof. 

In view of the diverse, vast, and complex range of issues related to Mexico’s building 

regulations, as well as the lack of an instrument that could be used to give them conceptual 

coherence, it is proposed to create a national databank or information system providing a 

comprehensive view of the standards applied in the different regions of the country. The 

databank would be for the use of the authorities, building contractors, competent professionals, 

 19 Government of the Federal District, General Urban Development Program of the Federal District - 2003, Mexico, 2003.
Background Paper 3a—Institutional Efforts for Green Building: The Case of Mexico 32

and other interested persons. It would offer viable technical solutions for the future development 

of buildings, with codes that take into account the particular geographic, social, economic, and 

environmental conditions and opportunities of each location. 

In this connection, the importance of the work done by Conafovi must be stressed. It is 

recommended that Conafovi promote efforts to develop the necessary electronic and computer 

resources without delay. These efforts should be accompanied by horizontal coordination with 

local authorities and other interested parties with a view to helping them draft or modernize their 

building codes, as discussed in the previous section. 

Recommendations

• Create an electronic databank or information system, to be shared among the countries of the 

region, that provides a comprehensive view of the sustainability standards applied in the 

different regions of the country. The databank would be for the use of the authorities, 

building contractors, competent professionals, and other interested persons. It would offer 

viable technical solutions for the future development of buildings, with codes that take into 

account the particular geographic, social, economic, and environmental conditions and 

opportunities of each location. 

• Encourage the municipal authorities to include in their building codes a section referring to a 

modernized information system containing environmental quality standards that is easily 

accessible to builders for purposes of continuing education and professional development. 

• Step up the dissemination of the building-related NOMs to the administrative units of the 

state and local governments responsible for construction permitting as well as the universities 

and professional associations that train project managers and construction site managers. 

• Support and promote the offering of courses, seminars, workshops, and similar formal and 

informal educational activities with the goal of fostering a new culture among construction 

industry personnel that gives rise, in the short term, to a cohort of new professionals who 

harbor a commitment to sustainable development. 

• Create a federal environmental capacity building program for priority and/or medium-sized 

cities with mandated funding to assist the municipal authorities in drafting or modernizing 

their building codes, such that these to include a specific section establishing technical 

specifications and sustainability standards for buildings. 

• In conjunction with the professional associations of architects, engineers, and other buildingrelated professions as well as with the competent authorities, explore the possibility of 

creating a new area of specialization—green building development and maintenance—for 

project managers and other professionals responsible for overseeing the environmental 

compliance of building projects, with the idea of streamlining and accelerating the adoption 

of green building practices by the building trades. 
Background Paper 3a—Institutional Efforts for Green Building: The Case of Mexico 33

• Provide forums and other opportunities for discussion of green building by industry 

specialists in order to promote the necessary qualitative and quantitative changes in 

construction practices.

• Conafovi could act as a liaison between interested local authorities and the various 

construction-industry players — academics, businesspeople, professional associations, 

industry associations, NGOs, etc. — who possess the experience, know-how, and 

technological capacity to help municipalities with the drafting of their building codes.
Background Paper 3a—Institutional Efforts for Green Building: The Case of Mexico 34

IV. Laws and Standards Governing Product Environmental Performance

The Mexican standardization system has its foundation in the Federal Metrology and 

Standardization Act (Ley Federal sobre Metrología y Normalización—LM). Product and 

building system assessment is subject to the provisions of this act. An initial group of building 

standards, consisting of those that are classified as Mexican Official Standards (Normas 

Oficiales Mexicanas—NOM), covers the following areas:

 Electrical installations

 Gas installations

 Elevators

 Accessibility in health-care buildings

 Sewer systems

 Water supply and treatment

 Water sector products

 Energy efficiency

 Exterior lighting

 Thermal insulation

 Measurement instruments

Also falling under the purview of the LM is a second group of standards, called Mexican 

Standards (Normas Mexicanas—NMX), which, although not mandatory, are applied by means of 

other administrative instruments and procedures. The following are examples:

 Cement, concrete, asphalt, unpaved roads

 Weatherproofing materials, paints

 Blocks and partition walls

 Tiles

 Sanitary fixtures, water tanks

 Shower heads and faucets, flow meters, valves

 Panels, beams, and vaults

 Fire resistance

 Pipes, manholes, drains

 Doors, windows

 Electrical products

The LM establishes the methods and procedures to be followed in issuing standards. The process 

begins with the formation of expert working groups with a structure along the lines of a national 

standards advisory committee, and continues with the publication of a draft standard for public 

review. According to information from the National Energy Efficiency Commission (Comisión 

Nacional para el Ahorro de Energía),20 the country currently has 18 energy efficiency-related 

NOMs in force and two more in the draft phase. These standards are mandatory and their 

application must be contemplated in building codes.

 20 Information for this section is taken from <www.conae.gob.mx>.
Background Paper 3a—Institutional Efforts for Green Building: The Case of Mexico 35

The LM establishes procedures for certification of compliance with the NOMs. Assessment of 

compliance with any standard is the responsibility of the competent body or of certification 

agencies, testing or calibration laboratories, or qualified auditing units that have been duly 

accredited by the responsible accreditation entity. The accreditation entity is authorized to make 

decisions regarding accreditation applications.

Entidad Mexicana de Acreditación, A.C. (EMA)21 was the first Mexican private entity whose 

mission is to accredit the organizations that assess compliance or conformity with standards 

(testing laboratories, calibration laboratories, certification bodies, and auditing units or 

inspection agencies). Accreditation of compliance assessment organizations began in Mexico in 

1980 with the implementation of the National Testing Laboratory Accreditation System (Sistema 

Nacional de Acreditamiento de Laboratorios de Pruebas—Sinalp) and the National Calibration 

System (Sistema Nacional de Calibración—SNC). These two systems, the foundation for the 

current system, were initially regulated by the federal government.

Accreditation is the act whereby it is assured that calibration or testing laboratories, auditing 

units (inspection agencies), and certification bodies shall accurately execute the relevant 

regulations and standards with a view to testing, verifying, or certifying the products and services 

consumed by the public. Accreditation entities such as EMA are the bodies guaranteeing the 

reliability and technical competency of compliance assessment bodies.

Another private nonprofit organization, the Mexican Institute of Standardization and 

Certification (Instituto Mexicano de Normalización y Certificación—IMNC),22 contributes to the 

insertion of the Mexican economy into globalized markets and with the enhancement of the 

competitiveness and productivity of Mexican organizations. The IMNC works on certification 

and accreditation.

The LM also prescribes penalties for parties that fail to comply with the standards. Those 

standards which, due to their nature, can and should be included in the measurement system for 

green building certification are presented below.

IV.1 Sustainable Energy Management Standards

There are 3 NOMs in force, plus one under development, whose purpose is to improve urban 

energy efficiency. An additional 14 standards regulate the manufacture of building-related 

products. The standards in force are:

 NOM-007-ENER-2004. Energy efficiency in lighting systems for non-residential 

buildings.

 NOM-008-ENER-2001. Energy efficiency in buildings; non-residential building shells.

 NOM-013-ENER-2004. Energy efficiency for lighting systems on roads and in outdoor 

public areas.

 21 See <www.ema.org.mx>. 22 See <www.imnc.org.mx>.
Background Paper 3a—Institutional Efforts for Green Building: The Case of Mexico 36

The second of these, relating to non-residential building shells, is considered the one most 

relevant to the issue of green building. It was drafted under the auspices of the National 

Standards Advisory Committee for the Preservation and Rational Use of Energy Resources 

(Comité Consultivo Nacional de Normalización para la Preservación y Uso Racional de los 

Recursos Energéticos), with the support of the Institute for Electrical Research (Instituto de 

Investigaciones Eléctricas) and the collaboration of some 20 organizations and businesses.

The purpose of this NOM is to limit the heat gain of buildings through their building shells, and 

thus to rationalize energy use in cooling systems. The term “building shell” refers to the roof, 

walls, spaces or gaps, floors, and ground surfaces that define the interior space of the building.

“Heat gain through the building shell” means the sum total of conductive heat gain (through the 

opaque and transparent parts of the building shell) plus heat gain due to solar radiation (through 

the transparent parts of the building shell). Here, all components of the building are considered.

Thus, heat gain through the projected building shell should be less than or equal to the heat gain 

through the envelope of a similar reference building that is certified as having met the minimum 

conditions set forth in this standard. This standard applies to all new buildings and additions with 

the exception of industrial or residential buildings.

New buildings and additions to existing buildings are required to post, in the main entryway or 

lobby of the building, a certificate informing users of the ratio of solar heat gain between the 

projected building and the reference building. Non-compliance with the standard is penalized 

and sanctioned as prescribed by the LM and the applicable building code.

In April 2007, a fourth energy efficiency standard, complementary to the one described above for 

non-residential buildings, was in preparation:

 NOM-020-ENER. Energy efficiency in buildings, shell of residential buildings.

The standards governing manufacturing processes for devices and equipment used in buildings 

are also relevant, since their use can and should be included in the measurement system for green 

building certification:

 NOM-001-ENER-2000. Energy efficiency of vertical turbine pumps with external 

vertical electric motor. Limits and testing method.

 NOM-003-ENER-2000. Thermal efficiency of domestic and commercial water heaters. 

Limits, testing method, and labeling.

 NOM-004-ENER-1995. Energy efficiency of 0.187–0.746 kW centrifugal water pumps 

for domestic use. Limits, testing method, and labeling.

 NOM-005-ENER-2000. Energy efficiency of domestic washing machines. Limits, 

testing method, and labeling.
Background Paper 3a—Institutional Efforts for Green Building: The Case of Mexico 37

 NOM-009-ENER-1995. Energy efficiency of industrial thermal insulation.

 NOM-010-ENER-2004. Energy efficiency of deep well submersible motor and pump 

assembly. Limits and testing methods.

 NOM-011-ENER-2002. Energy efficiency of central, package, and split air conditioners. 

Limits, testing methods, and labeling.

 NOM-014-ENER-2002. Energy efficiency of single-phase, squirrel-cage, air-cooled, 

alternate current induction motors with rated power of 0.180–1.500 kW. Limits, testing 

method, and marking.

 NOM-015-ENER-2002. Energy efficiency of domestic refrigerators and freezers. Limits, 

testing methods, and labeling.

 NOM-016-ENER-2002. Energy efficiency of three-phase, squirrel-cage, air-cooled, 

alternate current induction motors with rated power of 0.746–373 kW. Limits, testing 

method and marking.

 NOM-017-ENER-1997. Energy efficiency of compact fluorescent lights, limits and 

testing methods.

 NOM-018-ENER-1997. Thermal insulation materials for buildings. Characteristics, 

limits and testing methods.

 NOM-021-ENER/SCFI/ECOL-2000. Energy efficiency, user safety requirements, and 

elimination of chlorofluorocarbons (CFC) in room-type air conditioners. Limits, testing 

methods, and labeling.

 NOM-022-ENER/SCFI/ECOL-2000. Energy efficiency, user safety requirements, and 

elimination of chlorofluorocarbons (CFC) in self-contained commercial refrigeration 

appliances. Limits, testing methods, and labeling.

Also in existence are various mandatory standards enacted by local authorities for their purposes. 

An example is the Federal District’s environmental standard establishing the criteria for use of 

solar power for hot water heating, which applies to establishments that commence operating or 

totally renovate their facilities and require hot water for their operations.

IV.2 Sustainable Natural Resource Management Standards

To date, the environmental sector has issued four NOMs23 applicable to real-estate developments 

and buildings with a view to preventing and controlling water pollution:

 23 See <www.semarnat.gob.mx> and <www.cna.gob.mx>.
Background Paper 3a—Institutional Efforts for Green Building: The Case of Mexico 38

 NOM-001-SEMARNAT-1996, Establishing maximum contaminant levels in wastewater 

discharges into national waters and property.

 NOM-002-SEMARNAT-1996, Establishing maximum contaminant levels in wastewater 

discharges into urban or municipal sewer systems.

 NOM-003-SEMARNAT-1997, Establishing maximum contaminant levels for treated 

wastewater reused in public utilities.

 NOM-004-SEMARNAT-2002, Environmental protection. Sludges and biosolids. 

Specifications and maximum contaminant levels for their use and final disposal.

For its part, the agency responsible for the use and protection of national water resources, the 

CNA, has issued 12 NOMs whose purpose is to guarantee that products and services offered to 

local drinking water, sewer, and treatment system operators meet quality standards and employ 

sound, efficient water management practices.

 NOM-001-CNA-1995. Sanitary sewer system – hermeticity specifications.

 NOM-02-CNA-1995. Residential potable water uptake – specifications and testing 

methods.

 NOM-003-CNA-1996. Requirements during construction of water wells for prevention 

of aquifer contamination.

 NOM-004-CNA-1996. Requirements for aquifer protection during maintenance and 

rehabilitation of water wells and for closing of wells in general.

 NOM-005-CNA-1996. Flow meters. Specifications and testing methods.

 NOM-006-CNA-1997. Septic systems. Specifications and testing methods.

 NOM-007-CNA-1997. Safety requirements for construction and operation of water 

tanks.

 NOM-008-CNA-1998. Showerheads used in personal hygiene. Specifications and testing 

methods.

 NOM-009-CNA-2001. Toilets for sanitary use. Specifications and testing methods.

 NOM-010-CNA-2000. Intake valve and discharge valve for toilet tank. Specifications 

and testing methods.

 NOM-011-CNA-2000. Water conservation. Establishing specifications and method for 

determining mean annual availability of national waters.

 NOM-013-CNA-2000. Drinking water distribution systems. Hermeticity specifications 

and testing methods.

The Ministry of Health (Secretaría de Salud)

24 has published the following five NOMs, which 

establish permissible quality standards regarding water for human consumption and the means of 

 24 See <www.ssa.gob.mx>.
Background Paper 3a—Institutional Efforts for Green Building: The Case of Mexico 39

water storage and distribution, as well as the monitoring and assessment mechanisms used to 

control water quality.

 NOM-127-SSA1-1994. Environmental health. Water for human use and consumption. 

Permissible quality standards and required potability processes.

 NOM-179-SSA1-1998. Monitoring and assessment of quality control of water for human 

consumption distributed through public water supply systems.

 NOM-012-SSA1-1993. Sanitary requirements for public and private water supply 

systems for human use and consumption.

 NOM-013-SSA1-1993. Sanitary requirements for tanks of vehicles transporting and 

distributing water for human use and consumption.

 NOM-014-SSA1-1993. Sanitary procedures for sampling of water for human use and 

consumption in public and private water supply systems.

Observance of this list of standards, which is updated and amended on an ongoing basis, is 

mandatory. Therefore, they must be disseminated not only through the Official Gazette but also 

among developers and other actors in the construction industry. It is suggested that this be done 

through the professional development courses given to consultants and project managers who are 

responsible for compliance with building codes.

Furthermore, in the process of updating and issuing building regulations and municipal urban 

development plans, it will be necessary to refer to a set of codes and standards, still to be drafted, 

that would take account of the entire life cycle of buildings, including their exterior aspects. The 

most important of these standards are:

• Federal energy efficiency code

• Bioclimatic building design

• Sustainable water use

• Use of recycled construction materials

• Use and sustainable management of waste

• Greenspaces

• Environmentally efficient use of public spaces, including roads

• Planning for use and final disposal of maintenance and construction 

materials during and after the useful life of buildings.

Finally, it is important to stress the fact that the Federal Congress, made up of the Senate and the 

Chamber of Representatives, can play a significant role in the promotion of green building in 

Mexico. The Congress, with its power to propose, amend, and enact legislation, is a critically 

important player in the creation of a regulatory framework that gives impetus to green building.
Background Paper 3a—Institutional Efforts for Green Building: The Case of Mexico 40

Recommendations

• In the green building standardization process, consider regulations for the entire life cycle of 

a building, including its recycling, as well as its impact on various components of the 

environment; that is, on both the building interior and on the ecosystem.

• Reach regional agreements to foster the scientific and technological cooperation necessary 

for the drafting of NOMs and NMXs.

• Provide support for local initiatives promoting the adoption of sustainability standards and 

codes that complement and strengthen federal regulations.

• In cooperation with the professional associations and the local governmental authorities, 

offer courses, meetings, seminars, and other forums for regional discussion on modernization 

of the national regulatory framework with a view to enriching the experience of the 

participants and disseminating the application of said regulatory framework.

• Establish a joint work program with the Federal Congress and the local congresses to 

incorporate the green building concept into the relevant legal provisions, in order thereby to 

develop a legal framework conducive to green building in Mexico (see Figure 2).

Figure 2. Legal framework to be amended to include green building criteria

General laws:

General Ecological Balance and Environmental Protection Act, General Human 

Settlements Act

Federal laws:

Federal Tourism Act, Energy Regulatory Commission Act, Federal Housing Act, 
Background Paper 3a—Institutional Efforts for Green Building: The Case of Mexico 41

State laws:

State Ecological Balance and Environmental Protection Act, Human Settlements Act, 

Housing Act, and Tourism Act
Background Paper 3a—Institutional Efforts for Green Building: The Case of Mexico 42

V. Voluntary Green Building Promotion Programs

Voluntary initiatives in which green building is used as a new environmental strategy with which 

to confront the complex problem of global climate change have been few and of recent vintage in 

Mexico. The UN World Commission on Environment and Development links development and 

environment within a single concept: sustainable development. Since 1992, strategies have been 

geared toward modifying human activities with a view to minimizing environmental degradation 

and ensuring the sustainability of development processes. The principles of sustainability consist 

of:

 Limiting human impact on the biosphere

 Preserving biological patrimony

 Ensuring the rational use of non-renewable resources

 Fairly allocating the costs and benefits of resource use

 Promoting appropriate technologies

 Devising economic policies that contribute to the preservation of natural capital.

It is imperative to incorporate a range of activities into the national strategy that modify 

consumption habits and curtail the waste of natural resources. This is the motivation for the 

voluntary initiatives presented below, which emerge variously from the public or the private 

sector but all share the goal of improving and expanding building quality standards.

V.1 Profepa’s Voluntary Environmental Auditing Program

The Office of the Federal Attorney for Environmental Protection (Procuraduría Federal de 

Protección al Ambiente—Profepa) has, for the last fifteen years, had responsibility for the 

National Environmental Auditing Program (Programa Nacional de Auditorías Ambientales—

PNAA),25 whose purpose is to certify business regulatory compliance with environmental, 

health, and environmental safety and risk standards. This program does not include energy 

efficiency, construction, or zoning standards. Based on these audits, a periodically renewable 

official “green seal” is awarded. This program has been highly successful, with more than 900 

audits performed annually. It issues “Clean Industry” certificates for industrial facilities, 

“Environmental Compliance” certificates for non-industrial organizations, and “Environmental 

Excellence” certificates for persons and companies.

Profepa has expanded this program, which originally focused on industry, to encompass 

commercial buildings such as hospitals, hotels, airports, and schools as well as tourist 

developments and municipalities.

The PNAA is a system of support, promotion, and recognition for organizations (companies, 

public or private institutions, municipalities, industrial parks, etc.) that voluntarily submit to an 

audit and reach agreement with the authorities on the implementation of plans of action to 

correct deficiencies, improve environmental performance, and reduce impacts and risks for 

ecosystems. The role of the program then is preventive and in keeping with the provisions of 

 25 See <www.profepa.gob.mx>.
Background Paper 3a—Institutional Efforts for Green Building: The Case of Mexico 43

law, in that the government, in addition to punishing those parties who harm the environment, 

recognizes and promotes voluntary private efforts to cooperate with the harmonious and 

sustainable development of the country.

The purpose of the PNAA is to promote the adoption and implementation of measures to 

prevent, reduce, and/or mitigate environmental risks and impacts caused by human activities 

that, by their very nature, modify the environment. A further goal is to use environmental 

performance labeling (“green labeling”) to encourage the public to support the environmental 

improvement of organizations by opting for their products and services in the marketplace.

Another relevant government initiative is the voluntary NMX on green buildings now being 

drafted by Semarnat, which will offer alternatives to developers who opt for sustainable practices 

in their buildings.

V.2 Mexican Institute of Intelligent Building

The Mexican Institute of Intelligent Building (Instituto Mexicano del Edificio Inteligente—

IMEI), the country’s first building quality certification agency,26 is a nonprofit association that 

was incorporated in Mexico City in late October 1991. Its members consist of businesses and 

professionals active in the area of intelligent buildings: “An intelligent building is a building 

offering its owner, user, and administrator a flexible, efficient, comfortable, and safe 

environment through the use of integrated communications, controls, and technological 

systems.”27

IMEI also acts as a forum for sponsoring companies, giving them an opportunity to demonstrate 

their technologies at seminars, conferences, and exhibitions and through certificate programs. It 

disseminates ideas related to the planning, construction, equipping, and operation of intelligent 

buildings; promotes the appropriate use of technology, and strengthens the market through the 

promotion of enterprises yielding benefits to investors, goods and services providers, and end 

users alike.

IMEI works in four main areas. In education, it holds monthly conferences, gives a yearly 

certificate course on intelligent and green building technology, and offers more specialized 

courses. It publishes bulletins, books, and reports. In addition, for a decade now, it has been 

awarding an annual national intelligent building prize. Finally, it offers an ongoing certification 

program for individuals, organizations, and buildings.

Examples of certified intelligent buildings in Mexico City include the Gabriel Mancera Regional 

General Hospital No. 1 in the Del Valle district; the Cenit Plaza Arquímedes building, in 

Polanco, and the World Trade Center (WTC), in the Nápoles district.

V.3 Mexican Green Building Council

 26 See <www.imei.org.mx>. 27 Pablo Mota, “CB Richard Ellis”, at <http://www.imei.org.mx/descargas/template.pdf>, 20 July 2005.
Background Paper 3a—Institutional Efforts for Green Building: The Case of Mexico 44

Noteworthy among Mexican experiences in green building promotion are the efforts of the 

Mexican Green building Council (Consejo Mexicano de Edificación Sustentable—CMES).28 A 

civic association composed of construction industry leaders, CMES is a member of the World 

Green Building Council and an affiliate of the International Initiative for a Sustainable Built 

Environment (IISBE),

CMES’s programs and activities are concentrated in two main areas: dissemination of 

knowledge, and development of the Green Building Qualification System (Sistema de 

Calificación de Edificaciones Sustentables—SICES). As for the first, CMES gives courses 

relevant to green building and publishes the periodical Edificación Sustentable en México (Green 

Building in Mexico). As for SICES, it will be a voluntary certification system based on a 

consensus among a broad grouping of construction industry representatives, and is intended as a 

tool for market transformation. The purpose of SICES is to promote and accelerate the 

widespread adoption of green building and development practices through the creation and 

implementation of standards, tools, and operating criteria that are universally understood and 

accepted. SICES will provide assessment tools for all phases of a building’s life cycle and for 

various building types, budgets, and areas of environmental assessment.

Another activity of CMES is the Comprehensive Sustainable Housing Program (Sustentabilidad 

de la Vivienda Popular—SICESvive). The idea behind this program is to reach out to a broader 

sector of the construction industry, that of homebuilding, encouraging the shift toward 

sustainable high-, middle-, and low-income homes. In 2007 it plans to hold the Latin American

Congress on Green Building in Mexico.

In concluding this section, let’s note the need in the short term to build agreement between the 

federal authorities and various stakeholders (academics, technicians and tradesmen, 

businesspeople, politicians, community organizations) on development of a system of measures 

for green building certification that supports the structure, scope, and goals of the most viable 

system for Mexico.

It is proposed that this system of measures be implemented in the form of a code that serves to 

foster voluntary initiatives by developers that go beyond the standards established in regulations 

and other mandatory provisions. To this end, it is suggested that it be complemented with 

inducements such as certification-based recognition, fiscal and credit incentives, and national 

and international prizes. This system should preferably have governmental recognition and be 

equivalent to the one applied by LEED in the United States and Canada, to facilitate mutual 

recognition.

Since the companies participating in the Profepa environmental auditing program derive concrete 

benefits from certification, it is recommended that Profepa pilot a broad consultation process 

leading to the formation of a non-profit, non-governmental organization backed by the 

stakeholders from the private and academic sectors associated with the construction industry.

Part of this certification system should consist of a set of indicators that shall serve to measure 

the impact on the adoption of voluntary systems. Additionally, in the design and operation of this 

 28 With information from <www.cmes.org.mx>.
Background Paper 3a—Institutional Efforts for Green Building: The Case of Mexico 45

certification, it will be important to secure the participation of Mexican organizations such as 

EMA and IMNC. EMA is the primary private entity in the country with a mission to accredit 

compliance assessment organizations (testing labs, calibration labs, certification agencies, and 

auditing units or inspection agencies). IMNC is an independent and impartial, private, multisector, third-party association that works in the areas of standardization and certification of 

management systems, products, and persons, as well as acting as the national standards body and 

the agency that audits compliance with the NOMs.

Emerging as a conclusion from this first phase of discussion among the three NAFTA countries 

is the need to further the exchange of experiences in green building. In this effort, it would be 

advisable to pursue joint efforts to develop green building practices: for example, a case study of 

a city in which various activities related to green building are being carried out would offer an 

opportunity to measure the extent and results of the measures adopted. In the case of Mexico, a 

new city being planned from the ground up in Nuevo León could serve as an example of a city 

planned and built with a focus on sustainability.

Recommendations

• Strive for an agreement in principle between the public sector, the private sector 

(represented by the construction-related segments of the real-estate, financial, and 

industrial sector), and other interest groups (professional associations and colleges, 

and academics in general) with a view to developing the system of measures for green 

building certification; the structure of the entity that will be responsible for this task, 

its principles, objectives, and roles, and the instruments that will, in principle, be 

implemented to promote the adoption of green building in the real-estate market, so as 

to help meet the Kyoto commitments.

• Propose the production, by 2010, of an initial progress report containing information 

on the degree of compliance with Mexico’s various commitments. Said report should 

examine green building experiences and assess, in monetary terms, the response of 

the real-estate market and the construction industry to the various incentives, and 

other equally important aspects such as green building’sinclusion in the National 

Planning System, in the federal and local regulatory frameworks, and in the initiatives 

of the different orders of government.

• Governments should act to ensure that the buildings they occupy (whether owned or 

rented) are renovated or built according to the principles of green building. This 

should be applied at all three levels of government, particularly in offices with high 

public visibility.

• Promote the development of a system of efficiency and effectiveness indicators that 

facilitates quantifying the performance of green buildings and strengthens the system 

of measures.

• Carry out a pilot project involving the planning and construction of a real estate 

development that serves as a flagship for the green building concept in Mexico. To 

this end, it is suggested that the three levels of government join forces so as to include 

a range of stakeholders and develop at least two green building pilot projects in cities 

such as Aguascalientes and Monterrey. In so doing, they would demonstrate the 
Background Paper 3a—Institutional Efforts for Green Building: The Case of Mexico 46

advantages of this concept, in addition to creating an initial group of businesses and 

individuals possessing the training and tools necessary to advance the green building 

agenda in Mexico.
Background Paper 3a—Institutional Efforts for Green Building: The Case of Mexico 47

VI. Financing for Green Building

Financing experiences in Mexico in the green building market have been few and far between. 

The Institute of the National Fund for Workers’ Housing (Instituto del Fondo Nacional para la 

Vivienda de los Trabajadores—Infonavit), a government agency that uses employee premiums 

to finance home ownership, has initiated a “green mortgage” program,29 offering an enhanced 

line of credit with which to offset the additional cost of environmental services.

To qualify for a loan, a building must be certified by the National Energy Efficiency 

Commission as being equipped with energy saving appliances. With certification in hand, buyers 

can then apply to Infonavit for funding.

The “green mortgage” program is now working in conjunction with the National Institute of 

Ecology (Instituto Nacional de Ecología) to expand its initial offering in such a way that users 

derive maximum benefit at minimum additional cost.

On water conservation, an initial phase will consist of certifying buildings equipped with watersaving faucets, dual-flush devices for toilets, and proper installation of domestic hookups; later 

additions may include wastewater treatment in housing developments, and storm water collection 

and recycling. In terms of energy, the program will include the installation of thermal insulation 

and efficient heating and cooling systems. Greenspaces will be another important component.

The units covered by the program run the gamut from social housing to the conventional housing 

market.

Currently, two new programs are being developed. The first involves the construction of a 

residential complex in the city of Tijuana, while the second concerns the construction of a new 

city in the state of Nuevo León. The specific characteristics of these projects and their financing 

sources and methods are as yet unknown; all that is known is that sustainability criteria will be 

included in their design.

It is proposed that a study be done of green building activities carried out in Mexico and other 

countries, to identify their impact on the real-estate market, and to use the lessons identified by 

this research to recommend the necessary instruments to financing agencies. Furthermore, we 

agree with Group Four’s proposal as to the need to foster a comprehensive strategy that will 

transform the behavior of the market in such a way that green buildings become a natural part of 

supply and demand, thus orienting the market toward innovations for continuous improvement of 

performance.

In order to develop this strategy, it is recommended that the CEC pursue its leadership in the 

promotion of green building, which has already yielded significant results for the region. The 

CEC should continue to offer a forum where strategies may be discussed which, if applied across 

the entire region, will enhance their market impact (e.g., issuance of green guidelines).

 29 Francisco Rojas, “Llegan las hipotecas verdes” (Green mortgages are here), El Universal, 13 April 

2007.
Background Paper 3a—Institutional Efforts for Green Building: The Case of Mexico 48

Another concurrent activity whose impact will be greatest if coordinated across the region is a 

cost-benefit analysis of all the financial incentives currently operating in the real-estate market, 

on both the supply and the demand side, so as to recommend the proper tax incentives. This 

analysis should review the charges to which development costs give rise so that they include 

green building characteristics.

Another measure that should be explored for its potential to influence the construction market is 

the development of a carbon market under the aegis of NAFTA. This would help to promote 

projects that reduce greenhouse gases and increase energy efficiency. In this connection, it is 

recommended that a proposal be submitted to the Interministerial Commission on Climate 

Change (Comisión Intersecretarial de Cambio Climático—CICC) on inclusion of the category of 

green building projects in the National Climate Action Strategy as potential sellers of carbon 

credits. The CICC coordinates the government’s national policy formulation and implementation 

on greenhouse gas prevention and mitigation and adaptation to the effects of climate change; in 

general, it promotes the development of climate action programs and strategies related to 

Mexico’s fulfillment of its commitments under the United Nations Framework Convention on 

Climate Change and the instruments ensuing from it, notably the Kyoto Protocol.

According to data provided by the National Climate Action Strategy, which was developed in 

2006 by the Working Group of the Advisory Council on Climate Change (Consejo Consultivo de 

Cambio Climático):30

• Mexico contributes around 1.5 percent of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions. If 

patterns of energy consumption and production continue as they have to date, the 

country’s future emissions will increase substantially.

• As shown by the National Greenhouse Gas Emissions Survey (Inventario Nacional de 

Emisiones de Gases de Efecto Invernadero—INEGEI), emissions in 2002 reached 389.5 

million tons of CO2, corresponding to 61 percent of the national total. These emissions 

are caused by the burning of fossil fuels (plus fugitive emissions), including in the 

manufacturing and construction industries (13 percent), as well as by consumption 

activities in the residential, commercial, and agricultural sectors (8 percent).

• According to emissions data provided in 2006 by the Mario Molina Center for Strategic 

Energy and Environmental Studies, the share accounted for by the residential and 

services sector from 1994 to 2004 held steady at 7 percent. It is expected that this will be 

reduced to 6 percent by 2014, since the energy consumption pattern in this sector has 

changed.

• Carbon markets have become the preferred mechanism for encouraging activities that 

reduce greenhouse gas emissions as efficiently and economically as possible. All 

indications are that European Union emission trading in 2006 will reach 874 million tons 

of CO2 for a value of 17.8 billion euros.

 30 Interministerial Commission on Climate Change, National Climate Action Strategy, Mexico, May 2007.
Background Paper 3a—Institutional Efforts for Green Building: The Case of Mexico 49

• The Mexican Carbon Fund (Fondo Mexicano de Carbono—Fomecar) was created to take 

advantage of the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) and other carbon markets. The 

fund’s objectives are to identify and promote greenhouse gas reduction activities, offer 

financial support to project developers, and buy and sell Certified Emissions Reductions 

(CER) and carbon credits. This fund is administered and operated by Banco Nacional de 

Comercio Exterior (Bancomext), a state-run credit corporation that operates as Mexico’s 

export development bank, coordinating the corresponding federal financial support and 

guarantees.

Recommendations

• Take advantage of existing programs to offer financial incentives to green building 

developers.

• Foster government-industry cooperation on capacity building to support research and 

development in this area.

• Give precedence in policymaking to market-based over tax-based strategies.

• Promote the adoption of tax reforms that shift the tax burden onto those goods and 

services that harm the environment while rewarding those that benefit it; for example, 

promote the adoption of graduated public utility rates for increasing volumes of 

consumption, reward conservation and punish excessive consumption, or tax inefficient 

technologies and transfer the benefits to consumers of efficient technologies. 

• Offer subsidies and low-interest loans to purchasers of sustainable materials, components, 

systems, and buildings.

• With the energy sector, work towards a situation in which payment for consumption takes 

into account tax deductions at the levels of both generation and energy efficiency.

• Encourage local authorities to adopt market-based instruments that encourage green 

practices; for example, the incorporation of development right transfers in favor of green 

buildings in their urban development plans; special zoning (polígonos de actuación) for 

zones where green building is favored, as well as facilities for developers who 

incorporate green criteria or codes into their buildings.

• Continue the promotion of green building through the use of government-backed green 

mortgage credits and the like.

• In conjunction with the state governments and associations of real estate appraisers, 

promote the adoption of sustainability criteria in real estate appraisals.

• Propose to the CICC that green building projects be incorporated into the National 

Climate Action Strategy as potential sellers of carbon credits.

• Promote the development of a carbon market under the auspices of NAFTA so as to 

finance green building projects.
Background Paper 3a—Institutional Efforts for Green Building: The Case of Mexico 50

VII. Green Building in the Mexican Educational System

Education is the most important foundation of any society; on it depends the future of the nation. 

In Mexico, environmental issues are now a significant part of textbooks from primary school 

onward.

The subject is covered in the higher grades not only in disciplines connected to the natural 

sciences, but increasingly in disciplines relate to technology and the arts.

The academic disciplines most closely associated with green building are architecture and 

engineering. In Mexico, architecture is taught at some 80 institutions of higher education, 

according to information from the Mexican Association of Architecture Teaching Institutions 

(Asociación de Instituciones de la Enseñanza de la Architecture de la República Mexicana).31

The curriculum of each of these institutions includes at least one course related to the 

environment or sustainable development.

VII.1 Undergraduate Level

The largest public educational institution in Mexico is the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de 

México (UNAM), whose faculty of architecture offers various courses relevant to the topic at 

hand. Among the core courses are Architecture, Environment, and the City (I and II) and Urban 

Environmental Design. Electives include Sustainable Development in Architecture, Bioclimatic 

Design, Bioclimatic Architecture, Mexico: Towards the Sustainable City, Green Buildings, and 

Landscape Architecture.32

Another example of an academic institution whose curriculum includes related material is the 

Universidad Iberoamericana/León Campus, a private university offering Analysis of the Natural 

Environment, Bioclimatic Architecture (I and II), Ecology and Society, and Laboratory in Urban 

Design and Landscape Architecture.33

The private Universidad Intercontinental offers the following core courses at its three Mexico 

City campuses: Alternative Energy Sources, Ecological Architecture, Bioclimatic Architecture, 

and Ecology and Sustainable Development. It offers the following electives: Landscape 

Architecture, Urban Environment and Urban Image Revitalization, Topics in Ecological 

Architecture and Environmental Design.34

The curriculum of the Universidad Veracruzana, a Veracruz state university, does not include 

any relevant core courses, but offers as electives Bioclimatic Architecture, Landscape 

Architecture, and Man and his Environment.35

 31 See <www.uaemex.mx/asinea>.

32 Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Faculty of Architecture, at 

<www.architecture.unam.org.mx>.

33 Universidad Iberoamericana Campus León, at <www.leon.uia.mx>.

34 Universidad Intercontinental, at <www.uic.edu.mx>.

35 Universidad Veracruzana, at <www.uv.mx>.
Background Paper 3a—Institutional Efforts for Green Building: The Case of Mexico 51

The curriculum of the Universidad Autónoma de Guadalajara, a public university, includes the 

core courses Environmental Design and Habitat Development.36

Tecnológico de Monterrey, a private institution offering a complete degree in architecture at nine 

campuses around the country and a partial degree at six others, includes in its curriculum one 

relevant core course: Environmental Sustainability.37

An Internet search produced the following results:38

• Bioclimatic architecture is a subject included in the curricula of 25 schools and 

institutes of higher education in 8 Mexican states.

• Sustainable architecture is covered to varying degrees in 130 courses given in 19 

states.

• Environmental architecture is covered in 94 courses given by institutions in 23 states.

VII.2 Graduate Level

Graduate study in sustainable architecture-related fields is available at three academic 

institutions: the Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana (Azcapotzalco campus), which offers a 

master’s program in bioclimatic design and architecture;39 the Universidad de Colima, offering a 

master’s in bioclimatic architecture,40 and the Universidad Cristóbal Colón, Veracruz, which has 

a master’s program in building design and bioclimatic studies.41 In addition, UNAM allows 

interested master’s-level architecture students to specialize in this area,42 as does the Universidad 

Autónoma de Ciudad Juárez, in the state of Chihuahua, with its master’s program in holistic 

design.43

The Faculty of Architecture at the Universidad de Colima is a pioneer in the field of 

bioclimatics. The curriculum of the university’s master’s program in bioclimatic architecture has 

the following objectives:44

• Equip students with the knowledge they require to identify and to solve design problems 

with reference to environmental conditions.

• Develop students’ proficiency with basic bioclimatic design processes at three different 

scales: device design, building design, and urban design.

• Provide students with the auxiliary tools necessary for decision-making in the area of 

passive climate control systems.

 36 Universidad Autónoma de Guadalajara, at <www.uag.mx>.

37 Tecnológico de Monterrey, at <www.itesm.mx>. 38 See <www.emagister.com.mx>. 39 Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana (UAM-Azcapotzalco), at <www.uam.mx>.

40 Universidad de Colima, Faculty of Architecture, at <www.ucol.mx>.

41 Universidad Cristóbal Colón, at <www.ver.ucc.mx>.

42 Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Graduate Division, at <www.posgrado.unam.mx>.

43 Universidad Autónoma de Ciudad Juárez, at <www.uacj.mx>.

44 Universidad de Colima, op. cit.
Background Paper 3a—Institutional Efforts for Green Building: The Case of Mexico 52

• Create a system of values in which the architect is engaged with his/her social, natural, 

and cultural environment in the pursuit of sustainable habitat development and 

continuous quality-of-life improvement.

This master’s program is directed at architects, civil engineers, mechanical engineers, urban 

planners, industrial designers, and other professionals in areas related to the design, construction, 

and control of artificial environments who have prior experience or demonstrated interest in the 

field of energy efficiency, passive heating and cooling systems, or the environment in general. 

The main research interest is the development of sustainable habitat in the subhumid tropics.

At the Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Azcapotzalco campus, the Division of Design 

Sciences and Arts offers certificate, master’s, and doctoral programs in bioclimatic architecture 

and in landscape and garden planning and conservation.45

The Universidad Cristóbal Colón offers a master’s degree in building design and bioclimatics 

with a general research focus encompassing humanistics, design, technology, ecology, and 

environment. Its curriculum includes the following core courses: Ecology and Environmental 

Impact; Ergonomics; Thermal, Light, and Acoustic Factors; Laboratory in Applications of 

Biodesign and Biodesign Technology to Architecture; Environmental Resources for Comfort; 

Applications of Advanced Technology to Design.46

Ecological-bioclimatic issues are an important research focus of the master’s program in holistic 

design at the Universidad Autónoma de Ciudad Juárez, in the state of Chihuahua, which cover 

the application of alternative energy technologies to urban architecture, design, and methods. 

This program includes topics such as environmental management for design, solar power and 

passive systems, sustainable systems, ecological design in arid and semiarid areas, and sociology 

of sustainability-oriented development.47

VII.3 Certificate Programs

Programs of this type are offered by the UNAM Faculty of Chemistry, the Universidad 

Iberoamericana/Federal District Campus, and the Universidad de Sonora.

A large number of people with different levels of specialization carry out various tasks in the 

building process in general, and their involvement is by the same token fundamental to the 

success of green building projects. In particular, it is necessary to train construction workers and 

technicians so as to create a pool of workers trained (and certified) in green building-related 

techniques. Mexico has a wide range of technical and trade schools that can contribute to this 

process.

In summary, it is the role of Mexican institutions of higher education to train and graduate the 

construction industry professionals who will plan, certify, and appraise in the area of green 

building; these professionals could be evaluated and, as applicable, accredited by a collegial 

 45 Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana (UAM-Azcapotzalco), op. cit. 46 Universidad Cristóbal Colón, op. cit. 47 Universidad Autónoma de Ciudad Juárez, op. cit.
Background Paper 3a—Institutional Efforts for Green Building: The Case of Mexico 53

body linked to certification. An equally important task is training and certification of 

construction workers and technicians.

Similarly, considering the fundamental role of the local authorities in strengthening the green 

building promotion strategy, closer collaboration must be sought with the municipal authorities 

and officials responsible for urban planning and administration and with the professional 

associations linked with them. The objective: working towards inclusion of sustainability criteria 

in building codes and urban development plans. Despite the importance of their involvement if 

tangible results are to be achieved in this area, municipal authorities have been generally 

uninformed about green building issues and hence totally absent from the corresponding forums. 

For this reason, it is proposed that their involvement be fostered through the organizing of 

forums, meetings, seminars, conferences, and similar events specifically aimed at municipal 

officials.

Moreover, market demand for this type of building is crucial, as is the willingness to operate 

such buildings appropriately. Therefore, educating consumers and helping them make more 

intelligent, enlightened choices is a critical task that falls to the three level of government in 

conjunction with developers, universities, and NGOs.

In the area of trinational cooperation, what is needed is an automated database on housing 

information, provided by the three countries, on the status of green building. This will further our 

understanding of the behavior of the real estate market, helping us to discern the obstacles and 

the prospects for the penetration of green building practices and to effect a transformation of the 

real estate market.

Recommendations

• Incorporate into the Education Sector Plan a short-term action whereby Mexican 

institutions of higher education train the construction industry professionals whose task it 

will be to plan, certify, and appraise green building projects.

• Likewise, it will be necessary for technical and trade schools to train the construction 

workers and technicians who work in areas related to green building.

• Propose that Sedesol hold an initial national meeting on green building to be attended by 

local officials in charge of urban administration, members of construction-industryrelated professional associations, and local authorities, with the goal of having 

sustainability criteria incorporated into building codes and urban development plans at 

the drafting stage. 

• Convene regional meetings with representatives of local authorities, such as the Mexican 

Association of Municipalities (Asociación de Municipios de México) or the Municipal 

Urban Planning Institutes (Institutos Municipales de Planeación Urbana), to encourage 

their acceptance of the concept of sustainability. 

• Create a dynamic and comprehensive regional system with information on sustainability 

indicators that allows governments to opt for the adoption of policies guided by the 

principles of effectiveness and efficiency. 
Background Paper 3a—Institutional Efforts for Green Building: The Case of Mexico 54

• Encourage the signing of regional agreements to promote exchange of experiences and 

transfer of clean, cutting-edge technology while averting unfair external competition 

from high-impact or dirty technologies. 

• Offer forums, courses, and seminars led by individuals highly qualified in green building 

practices to local personnel who can wield decisive influence over the incorporation of 

environmental criteria into standards, urban plans, and building codes. The result being to 

encourage medium-term adoption by municipalities of modern instruments that are both 

appropriate to local needs and consistent with national standards.

• Develop a communications and consumer education strategy that will help people make 

informed decisions based on sustainability criteria when purchasing or occupying a 

building.
Background Paper 3a—Institutional Efforts for Green Building: The Case of Mexico 55

VIII. General Recommendations

From the standpoint of institutions and standards, the promotion of green building in Mexico 

requires a comprehensive, participatory approach (see Figure 3).

With the collaboration of the various construction industry stakeholders, Mexico will be in a 

position to promote green building throughout the country. All the stakeholders, within their 

respective spheres of activity, must come to a consensus on their respective commitments so that 

the sustainability goals may be achieved according to an agreed timeline, e.g., by 2012. For this 

to happen it will be necessary for all stakeholders, especially the federal and local governments, 

to take their commitments seriously and act accordingly. Error!

Figure 3. Policy instruments to promote green building

[Legend, gray boxes, clockwise from bottom left:] 

Standards (federal government)

Building codes (municipality)

Laws (federal government, state governments)

Research (educational institutions)

Professional associations (architects, engineers)

Certification (LEED, CMES, IMES)

Financing (public and private)

Promotion (agents)
Background Paper 3a—Institutional Efforts for Green Building: The Case of Mexico 56

National Planning System (federal government)

Urban development plans (municipality)

Environmental land use planning (federal, state and municipal governments)

[Center:] Green building market

[Bold titles, clockwise from bottom left:] Regulation, Collaboration, Management, 

Planning

The principal recommendations of this report are presented below:

1. Incorporate the green building concept into the National Planning System 

In order to obtain quantifiable results in green building by 2012, it is necessary to begin 

by incorporating this concept into the Urban Development and Land Use Planning 

(Desarrollo Urbano y Ordenación del Territorio—PDUOT), Environment and Natural 

Resources (Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales—PMARN), Energy (Energía—PE), 

Housing (Vivienda—PV), and Education sector plans, at a minimum. This must be done 

without neglecting the need for its inclusion in local planning, and with due consideration 

for the strategic role played by the local authorities in project approvals, i.e., as important 

potential leading actors in green building.

2. Foster the involvement of the local authorities in strengthening green building

It is proposed that an initial national meeting be held with local authorities before yearend 2007 to promote the development or modernization of their building codes to include 

green building criteria. Potential collaborators on this initiative would include 

established, legitimate representative groups such as the Mexican Association of 

Municipalities and the Municipal Urban Planning Institutes.

3. Promote the modernization of construction bylaws with the introduction of the 

green building concept

As a result of the foregoing consideration, it is also necessary to establish a federal 

program to support priority and/or medium-sized cities, with mandated funding to help 

the municipal authorities draft or modernize their building codes via the addition of a 

specific section setting out the technical specifications of sustainability standards for 

buildings. 

4. Determine criteria for the promotion of green building in urban development 

plans 

It will be necessary to include in the National Urban Development and Land Use 

Planning Program (Programa Nacional de Desarrollo Urbano y Ordenación del 

Territorio) for 2007–12 a strategic component on green building that contemplates, 
Background Paper 3a—Institutional Efforts for Green Building: The Case of Mexico 57

among other things, a commitment to assist local authorities with the adoption of 

sustainability criteria and standards in their buildings and with their inclusion in the urban 

zoning of their respective state and municipal urban development plans. 

5. Develop technical requirements (in the form of codes, NOMs, and NMXs) to 

provide for the regulation and administration of new buildings based on 

sustainability principles 

In the process of modernizing and promulgating building codes and municipal urban 

development plans, it is necessary to refer to an as yet non-existent set of codes and 

standards that encompass the entire building life cycle. The most important of these codes 

and standards are:

• Federal energy efficiency code

• Bioclimatic building design 

• Sustainable water use

• Use of recycled construction materials

• Sustainable use and management of waste

• Greenspaces

• Environmentally efficient use of public spaces, including roads

• Planning of use and final disposal of maintenance and construction materials 

during and after the useful life of buildings.

6. Promote and adopt a voluntary certification system that is recognized by the 

Mexican governmental and accepted in North America 

Mexico should promote a voluntary green building certification system arising out of a 

broad consultation process with individuals and associations involved in construction. 

Preferably, this system should enjoy government recognition and, for purposes of mutual 

recognition, be equivalent to the one applied by LEED in the United States and Canada.

Since the companies participating in the Profepa environmental auditing program derive 

concrete benefits from certification, it is recommended that Profepa convene a broad 

consultation process leading to the formation of a non-profit, non-governmental 

organization backed by the segments of the private and academic sectors associated with 

the construction industry.

7. Create a national databank or information system providing a comprehensive 

view of the standards applied in the different regions of the country 

In view of the diverse, vast, and complex range of issues related to Mexico’s building 

regulations, as well as the lack of an instrument that could serve to give them conceptual 

coherence, it is proposed that a national databank or information system be created to 

provide a comprehensive view of the standards applied in the different regions of the 

country. The databank would be at the disposal of the authorities, building contractors, 

competent professionals, and other interested persons. It would offer viable technical 

solutions for the future development of buildings, with codes that take into account the 
Background Paper 3a—Institutional Efforts for Green Building: The Case of Mexico 58

geographic, social, economic, and environmental conditions and opportunities specific to 

different regions. 

8. Encourage the nation’s institutions of higher education to create certificate 

programs in green building

It is recommended that the sector education plan include, as a short-term action, the 

objective that Mexican institutions of higher education train and graduate the construction 

industry professionals whose task it will be to plan, certify, and appraise in the area of 

green building; these professionals could be evaluated and, where applicable, accredited 

by a duly empowered professional association or college.

9. Propose a financial study

Such a study would ascertain the green building-related activities that have been carried 

out in Mexico and other countries, identify their impact on the real-estate market, and 

recommend the necessary instruments to financial institutions.

10. Propose a pilot study

This would be a trinational study involving one city in each of the three countries 

(Canada, the United States, and Mexico), in which various green building-related 

activities are carried out and the scope and results of the measures adopted are evaluated. 

Monterrey could be chosen as the participating Mexican city.

11. Incorporate green building into the ENAC

Present to the CICC a proposal for green building to be incorporated into the ENAC with 

a view to defining targets and strategies for this sector.

12. Create a national framework for coordinated and inclusive action 

It is important to develop and formalize a working arrangement allowing for interaction 

among the relevant federal departments and for coordination with the state and municipal 

governments, the legislative branch, and other stakeholders. This arrangement could take 

the form of an interministerial commission on green building or the like. 

13. Pursue the trinational coordination initiated by the CEC

Pursue the coordination among the members of the Publishers and Advisors Group with a 

view to holding a summit within two years, where the participants may discuss the 

relevant issues and take stock of progress on the implementation of the agreements. 
Background Paper 3a—Institutional Efforts for Green Building: The Case of Mexico 59

IX. References

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Federación, amended 13 June 2003.

Cámara de Diputados del H. Congreso de la Unión. Ley Federal sobre Metrología y 

Normalización. Diario Oficial de la Federación, amended 28 July 2006.

Casar Marcos, Guillermo. “Temas y oportunidades de la edificación sustentable en México.” 

CEC workshop, “Sustainable Building in North America: the Mexican Perspective.” Mexico, 

21 February 2007.

Comisión Nacional de Fomento a la Vivienda. Diseño de áreas verdes en desarrollos 

habitacionales. Mexico, 2005.

Comisión Nacional de Fomento a la Vivienda. Hacia un código de edificación de vivienda.

Mexico, May 2005.

Comisión Nacional de Fomento a la Vivienda. Programa Sectorial de Vivienda 2001-2006. 

Executive summary. Online at www.conafovi.gob.mx, Mexico, 2001.

Comisión Nacional de Fomento a la Vivienda. Uso eficiente de la energía en la vivienda.

Mexico, 2006.

Comisión Nacional de Fomento a la Vivienda. Uso eficiente del agua en desarrollos 

habitacionales. Mexico, 2005.

de Buen, Odón. “Edificios, energía y cambio climático en México: algunos datos importantes.” 

CEC workshop, “Sustainable Building in North America: the Mexican Perspective.” Mexico, 

21 February 2007.

Department of Energy. Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. Energy Code for 

New Federal Commercial and Multi-Family High Rise Residential Buildings.” Final Rule, 

Part IV, 6 October 2000. CEC workshop, “Sustainable Building in North America: the 

Mexican Perspective.” Mexico, 21 February 2007.

Gobierno del Distrito Federal. Normas técnicas complementarias del reglamento de 

construcciones para el Distrito Federal 2004. Online at 

www.arq.com.mx/documentos/Detalles/52874.html.

Gobierno del Distrito Federal. Programa General de Desarrollo Urbano del Distrito Federal 

2003. Mexico, 2003.

Gobierno del Distrito Federal. Reglamento de construcciones para el Distrito Federal. Online at 

www.paot.org.mx/centro/reglamentos/df/pdf/regladecons.pdf.
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Gobierno del Estado de Veracruz-Llave. Reglamento de construcción para el Estado de 

Veracruz-Llave. Online at 

www.veracruz.puerto.gob.mx/general/pdf/reglamento_construcciones.pdf.

Hirata Nagasako, Evangelina. Comisión Nacional de Vivienda. “Hacia una vivienda asequible y 

sustentable.” CEC workshop, “Sustainable Building in North America: the Mexican 

Perspective.” Mexico, 21 February 2007.

Lacy, Rodolfo (Centro Mario Molina). “Energía, cambio climático y el sector de la edificación.” 

CEC workshop, “Sustainable Building in North America: the Mexican Perspective.” Mexico, 

21 February 2007.

Mayagoitia Witron, Fernando (Lean House Consulting). “Hacia una vivienda asequible y 

sustentable.” CEC workshop, “Sustainable Building in North America: the Mexican 

Perspective.” Mexico, 21 February 2007.

Morillón Gálvez, David (UNAM). “La importancia de la edificación sustentable.” CEC 

workshop, “Sustainable Building in North America: the Mexican Perspective.” Mexico, 21 

February 2007.

Municipio de Acapulco, Guerrero. Reglamento de construcciones para el municipio de Acapulco 

de Juárez. Online at www.acapulco.gob.mx/marco/construcciones.pdf.

Municipio de Hermosillo, Sonora, Reglamento de construcción para el municipio de Hermosillo. 

Online at www.tododecasa.com/articulos/upload/reglamento_construccion.pdf.

Presidencia de la República. Plan Nacional de Desarrollo 2007-2012. Diario Oficial de la 

Federación, 30 May 2007. Online at 

www.gobernacion.gob.mx/compilacion_juridica/webpub/prog02.pdf.

Secretaría de Desarrollo Social. Programa Nacional de Desarrollo Urbano y Ordenación 

Territorial 2001-2006. Online at 

www.Sedesol.gob.mx/subsecretarias/desarrollourbano/subsecretarias/documentos.pdf. 

Mexico, 2001.

Secretaría de Energía, Programa Sectorial de Energía 2001-2006. Online at 

www.energia.gob.mx/work/sites/SenerNva/resources/localcontent/3866/prosec. Mexico, 

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Secretaría de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales. Programa Nacional de Medio Ambiente y 

Recursos Naturales 2001-2006. Executive summary. Online at www.semarnat.gob.mx.pdf. 

Mexico, 2001.
Background Paper 3a—Institutional Efforts for Green Building: The Case of Mexico 61

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