Emerging Market - Brazil

Green building is significantly growing in Brazil, with 52 projects already certified and another 474 registered, with a total of 526 green projects, as stated in  USGBC Report of June 30, 2012. These numbers take Brazil to the fourth position in the world ranking of LEED high performance buildings, behind the United States, United Arab Emirates and China.

In the Environmental Building News (EBN) volume of January 2013, there are some studies of expectations of green certified buildings released by McGraw-Hill Construction (MHC). MHC Trends Report found that, around the world, "63% of firms have new green commercial construction planned by 2015, with 83% of firms in Brazil - a construction hotspot - reporting such plans".

It is true that there are going to have some important events in Brazil in the near future, such as the 2014 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 Olympic Games that are helping to push forward the local construction industry, but it is also true that the country has a lot of different opportunities to explore besides these events. It is also necessary to highlight the increase in the construction market maturity, willing to increase the share of green building in the construction market.

The local consumer market is weighing the benefits of getting a green home or office and now is demanding a green certified building. Construction companies are aware of this trend and are investing more in projects with a green certification, fulfilling at the same time the green standards and the demand of the population. Companies want to maintain a good reputation in the market, thus having more green projects in their portfolios can show respect with other people and the whole environment. Instead of being an extra cost, high performance buildings proved to be a better investment than conventional buildings when you analyze the life cycle cost and the benefits to the occupants, that explains the rising interest in going green. 

Brazil’s Green Building Council informs that LEED projects have an increase of 10% to 20% on the sale price and a reduction in 9% on average in operation cost of the project compared to conventional buildings. It also states that the cost to have a green building is around 1-7% higher than a conventional building. 

The interest in green building that happens in Brazil follows the same pattern as it is seen around the world, indicating that it is a new standard of construction. Designing efficient buildings is the core of this standard, saving the business and the environment.