Climate Bonds approves CASA Colombia as a new Certification pathway for low carbon residential buildings

New proxy criteria under the Climate Bonds Standard expand Certification opportunities for Colombia's sustainable buildings

Key highlights 

• Climate Bonds has approved CASA Colombia as a new Certification pathway for eligible low carbon residential buildings and social housing under the Climate Bonds Standard. 
• The new proxy criteria provide a science-based, locally relevant route to Certification, supporting Colombian issuers in accessing sustainable finance while strengthening investor confidence. 
• The eligibility pathway applies to CASA Colombia v3 and v3.1 certified residential buildings that meet additional requirements for electrification, whole life carbon assessment and enhanced energy performance. 

Bogota, 31 July 2026, 9am – Climate Bonds has approved a new Certification pathway for residential buildings in Colombia, recognising projects certified under the CASA Colombia's rating scheme as eligible for Certification under the Climate Bonds Standard, subject to additional climate performance requirements. The proxy was launched yesterday at the CONSTRUVERDE 2026, which presented the Alianza Internacional de CASA. This project was supported by the IDB Invest and Climate Bonds Initiative. 

The new proxy applies to new residential buildings certified under CASA Colombia v3 and v3.1, developed by the Consejo Colombiano de Construcción Sostenible (CCCS). The update provides a locally relevant, science-based route to Certification, helping issuers demonstrate alignment with international best practice while supporting the growth of Colombia's sustainable finance market. 

The approval is expected to facilitate greater access to Climate Bonds Certification for residential developments across Colombia, giving investors increased confidence that projects financed through green debt instruments meet robust climate criteria. 

To qualify for Certification, eligible projects must satisfy CASA Colombia certification requirements alongside additional Climate Bonds Sector Criteria, including building electrification, sustainable mobility, whole life carbon assessment covering both embodied and operational emissions, and enhanced energy performance requirements based on internationally recognised methodologies. 

Projects may demonstrate compliance through either a prescriptive pathway, meeting enhanced performance requirements across key building systems, or a performance pathway, achieving at least a 30% improvement in energy performance compared with the applicable baseline. 

In addition, residential property upgrades remain eligible under the existing Buildings Criteria of the Climate Bonds Standard, requiring operational energy emissions reductions of at least 30% for shorter-term financing, increasing to 50% for 30-year bonds. 

The approval reflects Climate Bonds' continued commitment to recognising credible national green building frameworks that align with science-based climate objectives while reducing barriers for issuers seeking Certification. 

Andrés Felipe Sánchez, Global Head of Regional Oversight & Head of LAC, Climate Bonds, said: 

" Colombia has proven itself to be at the forefront of sustainable construction through the CASA Colombia certification system. By recognising CASA Colombia as a Certification pathway under the Climate Bonds Standard, we are creating a practical bridge between a trusted national framework and international capital markets. This will help issuers access sustainable finance while giving investors' confidence that certified buildings meet robust, science-based climate requirements." 

Angélica Ospina, CEO of CCCS, states: 
"This recognition confirms that it is possible to develop a certification designed to respond to the local climate, regulatory, and social context while remaining fully aligned with the highest international standards. It also strengthens CASA as a tool that enables developers to demonstrate the environmental performance of their projects while facilitating compliance with the sustainability requirements increasingly expected by financial market and banking institutions to create investment into sustainable housing projects." 

The Consejo Colombiano de Construcción Sostenible (CCCS) is the Colombian member of the World Green Building Council and promotes sustainable construction through technical leadership, policy engagement and market development. CASA Colombia is the organisation's flagship certification programme for sustainable buildings. 

Social Housing residential buildings are also eligible under the SOCIAL HOUSING BUILDINGS COLOMBIA proxy criteria. The new eligibility pathway is effective immediately and applies to both CASA Colombia v3 and CASA Colombia v3.1 certified residential buildings that meet the additional Climate Bonds requirements. 

For full eligibility requirements and technical guidance, read the proxy in English.

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For interviews and more information, please contact:   

Leticia Braga, Communications Specialist, Climate Bonds Initiative  

leticia.braga@climatebonds.net  

Notes for journalists: 
 
About Climate Bonds Initiative: Climate Bonds is the leading international non-governmental organisation mobilising global capital for climate action. We drive the growth of the green and sustainable debt market through science-aligned frameworks including our taxonomies and standards, our Certification, our data and insights, and our provision of expert policy and technical advice. More information on our website here. 

About Climate Bonds Standard & Certification Scheme: The Climate Bonds Standard & Certification Scheme is a multi-sector, science-based framework that allows investors and intermediaries to assess the climate credentials and environmental integrity of bonds and other sustainable finance products. Version 4.3 covers Use of Proceeds, Asset, Entity, and Sustainability-Linked Debt Certification products. More information here. 

About CASA Colombia: CASA Colombia, led by the Colombian Green Building Council (CCCS), is the national certification standard for resilient, sustainable, and healthy housing, specifically adapted to the country's climate and regulatory contexts. This multi-attribute, performance-based system serves as a strategic tool for developers and architects to design user-centered new residential projects, including both social (VIS) and non-social housing. By integrating goals for decarbonization, social equity, and third-party verification, it establishes itself as the technical benchmark for transforming the housing sector toward more efficient and responsible models in Colombia. 

About Consejo Colombiano de Construcción Sostenible: For 18 years, the CCCS has served as the network coordinating the entire construction and operation value chain, leading the transformation of present and future built environments toward holistic sustainability, resilience, and regeneration.