San Jose, Costa Rica, May 14, 2015
— IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, and the Green Building Council of Costa Rica (GBC-CR), today launched the EDGE green building certification system in Costa Rica to bolster eco-friendly construction and resource efficiency in new buildings. The launch took place during the GBC-CR International Green Building Congress: “Habitat and Sustainable Cities”.
Costa Rica marks the first national launch in Latin America of EDGE, which helps property developers design and construct new buildings that save money while leaving a lighter carbon footprint.
“Buildings account for about 19 percent of greenhouse gas emissions and a third of all energy worldwide,” said Luc Grillet, IFC Senior Manager for Central America and the Caribbean. “The most cost-effective way to improve resource-efficiency in buildings is to improve their design. That is the inspiration for EDGE. In addition, it complements the Costa Rican government’s commitment to green building regulations and will contribute to its goal of carbon neutrality by 2021.”
An innovation of IFC, the free EDGE software can be used for new residential and commercial buildings in nearly 100 countries. In minutes, design teams can easily assess the most cost-effective ways to incorporate energy and water saving options into their buildings. To reach the EDGE minimum standard, a building must achieve a 20 percent reduction in energy and water, as well as the energy spent to make the construction materials.
“Green building certification is now open to all new buildings in Costa Rica,” said Ana Quirós, President of the Green Building Council of Costa Rica. “EDGE fills a vacuum in our market and complements other rating systems by offering a simple and affordable certification that is accessible to all and adapted to our local conditions. It has tremendous potential for adoption across a wide range of properties, from the high to the low end of the market.”
The first EDGE Certification in Costa Rica was awarded to Hoteles City Express. At the launch event, IFC will be presenting preliminary EDGE certificates to the Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad and the Fundación Promotora de Vivienda.
About IFC
IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, is the largest global development institution focused exclusively on the private sector. Working with private enterprises in about 100 countries, we use our capital, expertise, and influence to help eliminate extreme poverty and boost shared prosperity. In FY14, we provided more than $22 billion in financing to improve lives in developing countries and tackle the most urgent challenges of development. For more information, visit
www.ifc.org
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