Ecuador's construction sector is taking its first formal steps toward measurable, verifiable sustainability standards, and Ecuador Green Building Week 2026 made that shift visible. Organized by the Ecuadorian Council for Sustainable Building (CEES) from September 21 to 25 in Quito, under the theme "Future Americas - Cities, Systems & Life / What We Build Next," the event brought together the region's Green Building Councils, national public sector representatives, financial institutions, and infrastructure practitioners around the country's growing sustainability agenda, and included the first national sustainability certification “CASA Ecuador”, and the first international one, “Envision framework” to reach the country in the same week.

A centerpiece of the week was the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure (ISI) and CEES Ecuador, formally bringing the Envision framework into the country. The MOU was signed by Anthony Kane, President & CEO of ISI, and Jhoana García Martínez, Executive Director of CEES Ecuador, during a joint keynote by Anthony Kane and Cristina Contreras titled "Envision en Latinoamérica: Innovando en certificar proyectos de infraestructura sostenible y resiliente." As Anthony Kane put it, "addressing today's infrastructure and sustainability challenges requires collaboration across disciplines, sectors, and regions." The Minister of Transport and Public Works, Mr. Roberto Luque, and the Vice Minister of Sustainable Urban Development and Housing, Mr. Daniel Elmir, attended the event to celebrate this major milestone: the launch of CASA Ecuador, the country's first national sustainable construction certification.

Cristina Contreras, member of ISI's Envision Review Board and Advisor to the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure in the Latin America Region, took the stage with Anthony for the keynote attended the event and led the ENV SP training session in Quito, the first time this certification course has been offered in the country, equipping local professionals with practical tools to develop more sustainable and resilient infrastructure in the country. Cristina also presented Envision at Universidad Internacional del Ecuador (UIDE), introducing the framework to students and faculty who will design and build the country's infrastructure in the years ahead.

This marks the fifth time in the last two years that Sinfranova has supported one of ISI's regional rollouts, following Chile, Guatemala, Panama and Colombia. We feel incredibly proud and grateful to be part of this journey, and energized by the opportunity to continue advancing sustainable infrastructure and building lasting impact across Latin America.

As Envision's footprint grows across the region, Sinfranova looks forward to continuing to support the professionals and institutions building Latin America´s next generation of sustainable infrastructure. Congratulations to CEES Ecuador and ISI on this new chapter for the country.