Sustainable Construction Gains Ground in Mexico

Sustainability is becoming an increasingly important factor in Mexico’s real estate and construction sectors, as developers and investors place greater weight on materials, emissions, energy efficiency, and environmental certifications. According to estimates from IMARC Group, Mexico’s green construction materials market reached US$357.8 million in 2025 and could exceed US$1 billion by 2034, representing annual growth of nearly 12%. Meanwhile, 55% of Mexico’s construction industry considers sustainable projects to generate tangible value, above the 47% global and 50% Latin American averages, according to Saint-Gobain’s Sustainable Construction Barometer.

Regulatory pressure is also increasing. Since April 2025, Mexico City has applied a tax on pollutant emissions from fixed industrial sources at MX$58/t of CO2 equivalent, according to data from the city government cited by Imperquimia. The measure adds to environmental requirements already implemented in the State of Mexico.

“This type of measure confirms that sustainability has ceased to be a matter of image and has become a factor that companies must incorporate into their investment decisions, because it directly affects the value and viability of their projects,” says Ricardo Rojas, Marketing Manager, Imperquimia.

The construction industry is also facing pressure to reduce volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which are regulated in Mexico through standards covering their use in paints and coatings. In Mexico City alone, activities involving organic solvents generate more than 100,000 t of these emissions annually, according to Imperquimia. The company has developed products with low or zero VOC content as one option for developers and contractors seeking to reduce their environmental impact.

Sustainability is increasingly being viewed as a financial consideration as well as an environmental one. Bernardo Barona, Director of Expansion and Growth, Latin America at Green Building Certification Inc. (GBCI), said incorporating sustainability criteria can initially increase construction budgets by 2% to 3%, but operational savings can offset those costs over the life of a building. Early planning and integrated decision-making can further reduce additional costs.

Certifications such as LEED are also gaining relevance among developers, investors and funds because they provide independently verified metrics for measuring building performance. The approach extends beyond energy efficiency to water management, materials, emissions, and overall life-cycle performance.

Materials are a key part of this transition. Reports by the US Green Building Council and GBCI indicate that Latin America accounts for about 4% of global emissions, increasing the importance of addressing embodied carbon associated with the production, transportation, use, and disposal of construction materials.

The industry is responding through lower-carbon materials, bio-based formulations and technologies designed to reduce cement and clinker content. Examples cited by Barona include low-carbon materials manufactured with renewable energy, bio-based acrylic emulsions, and additives for ceramic adhesives that reduce cement and clinker requirements.

The shift is also reflected in professional perceptions. Saint-Gobain’s 2026 Sustainable Construction Barometer found that 65% of Mexican construction professionals understand what sustainable construction means, compared with 67% globally and 68% in Latin America. However, only 32% of the general population said they understood the concept.

Among Mexican professionals, 96% said sustainable construction generates greater value than traditional construction, while 82% considered it a priority. Renewable or decarbonized energy was the leading feature associated with sustainable construction, cited by 55%, followed by building energy efficiency at 54% and carbon-footprint reduction at 53%.

These trends indicate that sustainability is moving from an environmental consideration toward a broader criterion for competitiveness. For Mexico’s construction and real estate sectors, the challenge will be to translate growing professional awareness into wider adoption, while integrating efficient design, lower-carbon materials, certification, and life-cycle planning into projects from the outset.