Sustentabilidad para México, the green building council for México, and Green Business Certification, Inc., the certifying body for all LEED projects, announced the formation of GBCI México. The new partnership will help drive the adoption of green business practices across México, improve access to educational resources and bring further technical expertise to the area.

In an effort to enhance the environmental and human health benefits of México’s built environment, GBCI México will focus on providing communities with the resources to create sustainable, resilient buildings and cities. A new office will open in México City providing more localized support and improved access to educational resources, training and GBCI’s green building programs, including LEED, the world’s most widely used green building program.

“México is an emerging leader when it comes to green building and green business activities and our commitment to the region is intended to support economic development and ensure a sustainable future for all,” said Mahesh Ramanujam, president and CEO, GBCI. “By partnering with SUMe, together we can help transform our built environment and create cities and communities that are more environmentally friendly, save on energy and water, and deliver important human health benefits.”

SUMe, Sustentabilidad para México A.C. brings together all organizations interested and committed to a sustainable future. Through rigorous certification and credentialing standards, GBCI is helping to drive the adoption of green business practices through its programs, including LEED, SITES, EDGE, WELL, PEER, TRUE, Parksmart, Investor Confidence Project and the GRESB benchmark. Together, the two organizations are working to enable sustainability across all levels of business.

According to Luis Alberto Vega, board president of SUMe: “The union between GBCI and SUMe, which have common goals for sustainability, will be a step forward on the road we have to build for a better world for all; and the result will determine the basis for new generations to have an assured future.”

“By joining forces with GBCI we can improve access to the tools and resources that will support the growth of the Mexican green building community,” said Alejandra Cabrera, CEO, SUMe. “Now is the time to act, climate change is a reality and each one of us has the duty to do what we can to stop it. When we work together to improve our buildings, cities and communities, our local actions can have a global impact.”

Since 2008, GBCI has delivered more than 39,000 LEED certifications to green building and community projects around the world and has established a world-class infrastructure to help advance the mission of the green building movement. Currently, there are more than 900 registered and certified LEED projects in Mexico, comprising more than 147 million gross square meters of space, and more than 500 LEED professionals.