Sustainability from the use of environmental certification seals in Social Housing projects

Abstract

The civil construction factory is responsible for a large portion of raw material consumption and waste generation. Moreover, the intense formal production of social housing in Brazil in recent years, made possible by the Minha Casa Minha Vida Program, which raises the question about the quality of what is being produced and the environmental impact caused throughout the life cycle of these constructions. In this context, this work investigates how the issue of sustainability has been handled in the civil construction sector in Brazil, with a focus on social enterprises, from a qualitative approach through literature review and case studies. There was a thoroughgoing study about environmental certifications, which act as a way to encourage the adoption of strategies with less environmental impact, in favor of healthier environments and in order to match assessments in green buildings. Particularly, the Casa Azul da Caixa Seal was observed, which despite having flaws, has great potential for applicability in social housing projects, as a tool on the way to cities with less impact in the environment.