RELEASE: Sonora State Kicks Off Efficiency Efforts With Support From Building Efficiency Accelerator

SONORA, Mexico (December 4, 2018) — Today, Sonora State announced a new collaboration with the Building Efficiency Accelerator (BEA), a public-private collaboration that turns global expertise into action to accelerate local government implementation of building efficiency policies and programs.

“Our use and production of energy have a huge impact on climate, and climate change also affects our energy production,” said Luis Carlos Romo Salazar, Executive Commissioner of the Ecology and Sustainable Development Commission of Sonora State. “This launch aims to strengthen the bonds between the parts of the public and private sectors that are involved in energy efficiency issues, considering that they are our main allies in accelerating the implementation of efficiency policies and programs of governments.”

Sonora State works with the BEA to help improve the wellbeing of residents while joining global efforts to address climate change by doubling the rate of energy efficiency improvements and making all new buildings net zero carbon by 2030 and all buildings net zero carbon by 2050.

“89 percent of Latin America’s population is expected to live in cities by 2050,” said Andrés Flores, Director of Climate Change and Energy at WRI México. “Given that cities produce more than 75 percent of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions, enabling action on building efficiency in Sonora State is a great opportunity.”

Sonora is Mexico’s second largest state by area, with a population of over 2.85 million, which is expected to increase by 10 percent in the next decade. Due to its dry, extreme climate, Sonora consumes the most electricity for heating and cooling of any state in Mexico. There’s huge potential for energy efficiency measures to reduce this demand – and Mexico has already made commitments to reduce energy intensity usage by nearly 2 percent by 2030 and 3.7 percent by 2050. Sonora’s work with the BEA is expected to help set national precedent and achieve national climate commitments.

Better building efficiency policies can result in 25-50 percent reductions in energy demand from both new and existing buildings, saving money and reducing pollution. The BEA, part of the UN Sustainable Energy for All (SE4All) campaign, works with subnational governments and global and local private and civil society partners to implement policies and programs to improve buildings. In its first two years, the BEA reached 253 cities with its resources and obtained 47 commitments on building efficiency action from 32 cities in 17 countries. 

###

About WRI Mexico Ross Center

WRI Mexico Ross Center is part of WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities. WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities works to make urban sustainability a reality. Global research and on-the-ground experience in Brazil, China, India, Mexico, Turkey and the United States combine to spur action that improves life for millions of people.

About the Building Efficiency Accelerator

The Building Efficiency Accelerator (BEA) is a partnership of businesses, NGOs and multilaterals assisting local governments to take action to improve their buildings. The BEA is coordinated by WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities and includes more than three dozen partners, including WorldGBC. The BEA is supported by Johnson Controls, Inc., and the Global Environment Facility (GEF). Learn more at buildingefficiencyaccelerator.org.