The overarching goal of the Mexican NAMA Support Project is to implement the New Housing NAMA, which promotes cost effective, energy-efficient building concepts across the housing sector with a particular focus on low-income housing.NAMA, implies Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Action refers to a set of policies and actions that countries undertake as part of a commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Similarly, NAMAs are voluntary emission reduction proposals submitted by developing countries to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
The NAMA Support Project in Mexico contributes to the implementation of the NAMA in two ways:
- It promotes the penetration of basic efficiency standards throughout the entire new housing market in Mexico by means of: (a) technical assistance to large public housing financiers and housing developers and (b) financial incentives and project-related technical support for small- and medium-sized developers and financial intermediaries.
- It promotes the upgrading of energy efficiency standards to more ambitious levels.
Concept and methodological approach
This NAMA Support Project combines technical assistance to Mexico’s National Housing Commission (CONAVI), as well as financial incentives and project-related technical support in cooperation with the Mexican development bank SHF to pave the way from the initial NAMA development towards a broad, sector-wide implementation of sustainable housing.
NAMA provides financial incentives to the private sector and enables the National Government in the mid and long term to decrease its national budget spent on energy subsidies in favour of incentivising energy-saving and sustainable construction, as well as retrofitting residential buildings to improve the living comfort and energy expenses of the end-users. In the last year in Mexico, 10% of new social housing are NAMAs.
Current implementation status
Mexico’s national efforts and initiatives to foster energy efficiency and sustainability in the building sector, supported by the international community, created a strong conscience and commitment among the diverse public and private key actors of the sector. Today, Mexico is on track to gradually transform its building sector towards a low carbon sector, contributing significantly to its mitigation goals at national and international level. Among some of the most important outcomes are the following:
Awareness and International Climate Negotiations, Policy and Financing
- The NAMA development and initial implementation helped Mexico to achieve a high level of visibility within the international climate community and strengthened its position as partner in the international climate negotiations.
- The Housing NAMA has led to the mobilisation of international co-financing (e.g. extension of ECOCASA, NAMA Facility).
- New financing schemes and instruments for the private sector towards a low carbon economy are being explored (e.g. Green Bonds with CONAVI).
Mitigation Potential
- The implementation of the Mexican Housing NAMA has so far resulted in almost 60,000 newly constructed NAMA housing units. The mitigation potential of these units is estimated at 28.339 TCO2e per year.
Capacity Development and Innovation
- More than 1,200 people have been trained in energy simulations and sustainable housing. Mexico disposes of an energy and environmental certification system for new and existing residential buildings (Sisevive-Ecocasa) being operated by the National Housing Register (RUV).
By Carlos Carrazco Cota, National Housing Commission (CONAVI); Andreas Gruner, German Development Cooperation (GIZ) in Mexico; and Antonio Pelaez, GIZ in Mexico
