Buildings & Infrastructure (BU)
Construction, retrofit, heating and cooling
- CPI GLCF 2025 — Buildings & Infrastructure (BU) Index
- New Zero-Emission Construction
- Retrofit & Energy Efficiency
- Heating, Cooling & HVAC
CPI GLCF 2025 — Buildings & Infrastructure (BU) Index
| source | cpi |
| source_version | GLCF 2025 |
| source_name | CPI GLCF 2025 — Buildings & Infrastructure (BU) |
| sector | BU |
| origo_nodes_mapped | TBD |
| last_verified | 2026-05-26 |
| license | CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 — contact adminsf@cpiglobal.org for commercial use |
Description
CPI Global Landscape of Climate Finance 2025 coverage for: Construction, retrofit, heating and cooling. Populate with specific CPI sub-sector and activity nodes during Phase 0.
Cleantech Taxonomy Mapping Notes
[To be populated during Phase 1 schema alignment — document how this source node maps to Cleantech Taxonomy IDs, including convergences, divergences, and gaps.]
{
"source": "cpi",
"source_version": "GLCF 2025",
"source_name": "CPI GLCF 2025 — Buildings & Infrastructure (BU)",
"sector": "BU",
"origo_nodes_mapped": [],
"last_verified": "2026-05-26",
"schema_version": "1.0"
}
New Zero-Emission Construction
Source Metadata
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| source | cpi |
| source_version | GLCF 2025 |
| source_id | CPI-BU-001 |
| sector | Buildings & Infrastructure |
| subsector | New Zero-Emission Construction |
| mitigation | Y |
| adaptation | Y |
| last_checked | 2026-05-26 |
CPI Definition & Scope
New Zero-Emission Construction in CPI's GLCF framework tracks finance directed at the design and construction of buildings that achieve near-zero or zero operational carbon emissions from the outset. CPI captures investment in net-zero energy buildings, passive house construction, green building certification programs, low-carbon construction materials (mass timber, low-carbon concrete), and building-integrated renewable energy systems. The buildings sector accounted for significant investment growth in CPI's tracking, with a 40% increase between 2018 and 2023.
Subsectors & Examples
- Net-Zero Energy Buildings — buildings that produce as much energy as they consume annually
- Passive Design — passive house standards, natural ventilation, daylighting optimization
- Low-Carbon Materials — mass timber, low-carbon cement, recycled steel, bamboo construction
- Green Building Certification — LEED, EDGE, BREEAM-certified new construction
- Building-Integrated Renewables — rooftop solar, building-integrated PV, solar thermal
Mitigation & Adaptation Classification
New zero-emission construction is classified as dual-benefit in CPI's framework. Mitigation comes from avoiding lock-in of high-carbon building stock and reducing embodied carbon in materials. Adaptation benefits arise from climate-resilient design features including flood-resistant foundations, heat-resilient envelopes, and passive cooling that reduce vulnerability to extreme temperatures and weather events.
LATAM Relevance
Latin America's rapid urbanization drives enormous demand for new construction. Colombia's EDGE green building program has certified hundreds of residential and commercial projects, making it one of the most active markets globally. Peru's construction boom in Lima offers opportunities for green building standards adoption. Costa Rica's ambitious climate goals extend to its building sector with national green building policies. Bamboo and mass timber construction offer regionally appropriate low-carbon material alternatives.
Cleantech Taxonomy Crosswalk
Maps to Cleantech Taxonomy sector BU (Buildings) for new construction. Cross-references with IN (Industry) for low-carbon building materials manufacturing and ES (Energy Systems) for building-integrated energy generation.
Retrofit & Energy Efficiency
Source Metadata
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| source | cpi |
| source_version | GLCF 2025 |
| source_id | CPI-BU-002 |
| sector | Buildings & Infrastructure |
| subsector | Retrofit & Energy Efficiency |
| mitigation | Y |
| adaptation | N |
| last_checked | 2026-05-26 |
CPI Definition & Scope
Retrofit and Energy Efficiency in CPI's GLCF framework tracks climate finance directed at improving the energy performance of existing building stock. CPI's 2025 edition expanded coverage of energy efficiency as a tracked category. This includes investment in building envelope improvements (insulation, windows, air sealing), lighting upgrades, building energy management systems, appliance efficiency programs, and comprehensive deep energy retrofits that reduce a building's energy consumption by 50% or more.
Subsectors & Examples
- Deep Energy Retrofits — comprehensive renovation achieving 50%+ energy reduction
- Building Envelope — insulation, high-performance windows, air barrier systems
- Lighting Upgrades — LED retrofits, smart lighting controls, daylighting systems
- Building Automation — energy management systems, smart thermostats, occupancy sensors
- Appliance & Equipment Efficiency — high-efficiency HVAC replacement, efficient motors
Mitigation & Adaptation Classification
Retrofit and energy efficiency is classified as mitigation in CPI's framework. The primary benefit is direct reduction of energy consumption and associated greenhouse gas emissions from the existing building stock. Energy efficiency is often described as the "first fuel" of the energy transition, and CPI tracks it as a core mitigation investment category.
LATAM Relevance
Building energy efficiency presents significant untapped potential in Latin America. Colombia's commercial building stock, particularly in Bogota and Medellin, offers major retrofit opportunities with payback periods attractive to private investors. Peru's Lima has a large stock of inefficient buildings where cooling demand is rising due to climate change. Costa Rica's government buildings are targets for efficiency programs linked to its National Decarbonization Plan. IFC's EDGE program is driving regional adoption of efficiency standards.
Cleantech Taxonomy Crosswalk
Maps to Cleantech Taxonomy sector BU (Buildings) for retrofit and efficiency. Cross-references with ES (Energy Systems) for demand-side energy management and IC (ICT) for building automation and smart energy systems.
Heating, Cooling & HVAC
Source Metadata
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| source | cpi |
| source_version | GLCF 2025 |
| source_id | CPI-BU-003 |
| sector | Buildings & Infrastructure |
| subsector | Heating, Cooling & HVAC |
| mitigation | Y |
| adaptation | Y |
| last_checked | 2026-05-26 |
CPI Definition & Scope
Heating, Cooling and HVAC in CPI's GLCF framework tracks climate finance directed at decarbonizing thermal comfort systems in buildings. The 2025 edition added heat pumps as a specifically tracked energy transition technology. CPI captures investment in electric heat pumps (air-source, ground-source, water-source), district heating and cooling networks, efficient air conditioning with low-GWP refrigerants, and solar thermal systems. This subsector addresses both space heating/cooling and domestic hot water production.
Subsectors & Examples
- Heat Pumps — air-source, ground-source, water-source heat pumps for heating and cooling
- District Energy — district heating networks, district cooling systems, combined heat and power
- Efficient Cooling — high-efficiency air conditioning, low-GWP refrigerant systems
- Solar Thermal — solar water heaters, solar-assisted HVAC, solar cooling
- Natural Refrigerants — CO2, ammonia, and hydrocarbon-based cooling systems
Mitigation & Adaptation Classification
Heating, cooling and HVAC is classified as dual-benefit in CPI's framework. Mitigation comes from electrification of heating (replacing gas/oil boilers with heat pumps) and improving cooling efficiency. Adaptation is critical because rising temperatures from climate change are driving exponential growth in cooling demand, making efficient and accessible cooling a direct adaptation measure for protecting human health and productivity.
LATAM Relevance
Cooling is the dominant HVAC concern in tropical Latin America and represents a rapidly growing source of electricity demand and emissions. Colombia's Caribbean coast cities (Barranquilla, Cartagena) face extreme heat that drives air conditioning demand. Peru's coastal cities are experiencing rising temperatures with growing cooling needs. Costa Rica's tropical climate makes efficient cooling essential. The Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol, which phases down HFC refrigerants, creates both regulatory and investment momentum for low-GWP cooling in the region.
Cleantech Taxonomy Crosswalk
Maps to Cleantech Taxonomy sector BU (Buildings) for HVAC systems. Cross-references with ES (Energy Systems) for heat pump electricity integration and IN (Industry) for industrial heat processes.