SBC Trust Fund Project: Sustainable Construction Policy in the Aburrá Valley, Colombia

By implementing the sustainable construction policy issued in 2015 the aim of the project is to foster the paradigm shift towards an eco-efficient, socially inclusive and economically viable urban development in the Aburrá Valley and its adjacent regions by implementing strategies relevant to the local needs, constraints and opportunities, while keeping view on global priorities. Likewise, it is intended that conceptual, methodological and legal policy framework serve as reference to issue the national policy as well as to formulate similar policies in other metropolitan regions of Latin America and the Caribbean. Activity 1. Public Awareness and stakeholder engagement Within the framework of the agreement, a relationship was established with 64 public and private institutions in different ways. Among these institutions are union representatives, construction companies and public institutions. Activity 2. Training Within the framework of the agreement, four training courses were offered to managers, architects, builders, contractors and engineers working for the public and private sector and who are committed to one of the interested institutions listed above. The set goal was to train 150 professionals, the accomplished goal was the training of 165 professionals. On the other hand, two short training sessions were offered on practical aspects of sustainable construction for construction workers. Activity 3. Demonstration projects The goal of introducing sustainability criteria for metropolitan guides in the planning and design phases of three pilot projects was established. At the end it was possible to participate in the design process of five (5) building projects. Activity 4. Economic analysis of the inclusion of Sustainable Construction criteria Based on the studies and designs given to the demonstration projects described in activity 3, an analysis was made of the economic costs of introducing sustainability criteria in building projects. While these results are preliminary, they will be useful in providing the sector with an initial idea of the opportunities and constraints for sustainable construction. Extra Activities Transformation of Construction Waste and Demolition in new materials A study carried out by AMVA and the Colombian Association of Sanitary and Environmental Engineering - Acodal, provided information concerning the economic implications of recycling Construction and Demolition Waste – CDW. Results are provided as part of the report on the agreement. GHG emissions from the building sector in the Aburrá Valley One of the most significant contributions of Camacol Antioquia in the development of the agreement for the implementation of the sustainable construction metropolitan policy is a study of Greenhouse Gas Emissions (GHG) of the building activity in the Aburrá Valley. The plans for monitoring the progress and outreach are convincing and the planned budget is cost efficient. The approach seems well replicable in other urbanizing metropolitan areas in the LAC region and beyond. Objective 1 Involve key actors in the implementation of the policy Goal: No quantitative goal Quantitative results: 64 institutions with which socialization meetings have been held. 16 of them are public institutions and 48 are private companies. Objective 2 Training of sector professionals in the use of metropolitan sustainable construction guides Goal: One hundred and fifty (150) professionals Quantitative results: One hundred sixty-five (165) professionals Objective 3 Incorporate metropolitan sustainable construction guidelines into demonstration projects Goal: Three (3) projects Quantitative results: Five (5) advised construction projects. Three housing projects of priority interest, an institutional project and a commercial project Objective 4 Analyze the economic implications of the application of the Metropolitan Sustainable Construction Guidelines Goal: An analysis document Quantitative results: Document prepared, in the process of layout for publication Counterpart CAMACOL Antioquia Objective: Calculate the Emissions of Greenhouse Gases - GHG of the construction activity in the Aburrá Valley Goal: Study of GHG emissions Quantitative results: Study carried out, socialized and delivered The main perspective left by this first phase is the creation of an Alliance for sustainable construction as the mechanism through which the voluntary participation instruments of the policy can continue to operate. This would be the platform for the articulation between the private sector, public institutions, the academic community and civil society under the principles of concertation, co-responsibility and transversality, whose purpose is the effective and permanent incorporation of sustainability criteria to the urban development of the Aburrá Valley