Page 41 - Respond 2020 Magazine

COMVIVE: THE REAL ENVIRONMENTAL
EDUCATION WORLDWIDE

ESTATE DEVELOPER INITIATIVE: ON A MISSION TO

WITH SUSTAINABLE DNA CREATE AGENTS OF CHANGE

We have a single purpose: environmental I used to think the top environmental problems
Sustainable housing developer with a education worldwide. were biodiversity loss, ecosystem collapse and
comprehensive and replicable model. COMVIVE is a Mexican company created by Great transformations are achieved by raising awareness, climate change. I thought that with 30 years of
professionals with an average of 20 years of consciousness and collaboration. We are all part of the
The UN estimates that 55% of the global population lives in good science we could address those problems. But
experience in the housing sector. Its goal is same planet and only by acting together we can mitigate the
urban areas, a figure that is projected to rise to 68% by 2050. I was wrong. The top environmental problems are
effects of the environmental and climate crisis.
With few exceptions, cities are expected to become bigger to improve the lifestyle of Mexican families,
and more numerous. It is fundamental that new communities creating sustainable communities of value In Mexico, we are convinced that the essential tool to combat selfishness, greed and apathy and to deal with those
be designed to promote a sustainable quality of life. climate change is education with a particular focus on future we need a spiritual and cultural transformation. And
to its residents, their surroundings and the
generations. We firmly believe that the education of future we scientists don’t know how to do that.
México, as most emerging countries, has the challenge in country as a whole. COMVIVE has developed ”
next decade to build sustainable and resilient cities. With citizens is the transforming element to guarantee our world’s Gus Speth
11 communities, which represent more than present and future as a sustainable habitat, where we as
over 130 million citizens has housing shortage of 14 million
1,500 houses, with the goal of creating 8,500 human beings are able to respect and co-exist with the
units, representing 34% of total home inventory. During the
last 15 years, government and private sectors have joined houses over the next five years. various ecosystems. We strongly believe in the importance In May 2019, in an unprecedented event, Senator Eduardo
of creating agents of change through environmental Murat announced the achievement: “For the first time,
forces to produce and finance more than 10 million homes,
education prioritizing the development of competences that
prioritizing lower income populations. the environment is included in the third article of the
students can apply in their daily lives. Mexican Constitution. This is historical. The guidelines for
However, the challenge is still large, even more so environmental education are included. Children will receive
The Mexican Context
considering that the UN Sustainable Development Goals better development potential for their clients, employees and the knowledge necessary to understand the importance of
Mexico is a country of great biodiversity with a large number
(SDG’s) have been incorporated into the 2019-2024 National investors. ecological balance, the need to protect natural resources and
of initiatives seeking to contribute, through awareness-raising
Development Plan, aligning Mexico to the 2030 Agenda for
COMVIVE creates comprehensibly sustainable housing actions, educational programs, advocacy on public policies raise awareness about issues such as climate change”.
Sustainable Development. For the housing sector, the goal is
developments, incorporating the SDG’s, starting from the and campaigns on mass and social media regarding the
not only about building houses, but also to create sustainable Within this context, the Environmental Education
planning phase, choice of land, urban and architectural project, importance of working together to combat climate change.
communities for the Mexican families. Worldwide Initiative invites all countries to include
selection of construction materials and community building. Standing out among these initiatives is the Telar Social, an
environmental education in all of the planet’s
Aligned to this, COMVIVE has defined its strategy to NGO, which has been working several years to introduce a
COMVIVE’s sustainability strategy is executed on three axes: classrooms, promoting a sustainable way of life.
incorporate the SDG’s related to the environmental, social Constitutional amendment about environmental education.
Our purpose is to implement environmental education in
and economic challenges of our world. 1. Environmental innovation applying ecotechnologies to
In November 2018, within the EarthxMexico 2018 every country.
its homes while obtaining environmental benefits on
COMVIVE, a Mexican housing developer, committed to the event, a group of civil society organizations, including
quality of life and economy for its residents. COMVIVE Our objective is to drive a global educational agreement,
role housing holds for the development of the country and EarthxMexico, Telar Social, Fundación EDUCA, Fundación
is implementing the “NAMA Facility” program, designed by recognized and promoted by all signatories of the “Paris
its people, is creating sustainable communities to radically Reversible, Reeduca, Cíclica, and important universities
Sociedad Hipotecaria Federal (SHF), a financial institution Agreement”, incorporating environmental education through
improve the lifestyle of those who live in them and opening a and NGOs, launched the Chapultepec Commitments, of
that promotes the development of the housing sector in school curricula and educational programs in all classrooms
which Environmental Education is an essential part. This
México. “NAMA Facility” is a financing initiative funded by at all educational levels, encouraging educational institutions,
commitment included presenting a motion to Mexican
KFW, a German Development Bank, offering incentives to NGOs, private sector and government organizations to
Congress to incorporate green curricula into the educational
implement ecotechnologies to cut emissions and tackle incorporate this objective into the COP25 agreements.
system as a Constitutional amendment.
climate change. These technologies allow COMVIVE to
Our Goal by 2025 is to have all “Paris Agreement” signatory
mitigate CO2 emissions by 32% and reduce the cost of In December 2018, Esteban Moctezuma, Secretary of Public
countries incorporate environmental education into their
energy for residents. Education, with Andrés Manuel Lopez Obrador, Mexico’s
Constitution, as state policy, developing green school
President, communicated as one of the basic axes of the
2. Social Impact, building Community Development curricula and educational programs for all levels.
educational plan, “the obligation to include the respect for the
Centers (CDC), offering health services, education,
environment into schools curricula, as part of the bases of an Participation in COP25
social inclusion and nutrition guidance. COMVIVE
integral formation for the future generations of Mexicans”. Environmental Education Worldwide Initiative will
implements an urban architectural design creating
participate in COP25 in the “Environmental Education” panel,
sustainable communities with parks, bikeways,
at Blue Zone, with the objective of sharing the Mexican
densification, urban agriculture, schools and commercial
experience changing the 3rd article of the Constitution,
services.
incorporating environmental education in the school
3. Economic Sustainability, offering communities curricula at all educational levels.
professional management services, which provide
Members of the panel will be key leaders who actively
maintenance and security to all its residents. In addition,
participated in incorporating environmental education
in the CDCs, offer job training programs that help people
as a Constitutional amendment, thereby guaranteeing
improve their skills to obtain a better job and salary.
its mandatory nature in school curricula and educational
COMVIVE is committed to innovate in sustainable solutions, programs from preschool to postgraduate.
offering better quality of life for Mexican families, as well
It’s an honor for The Environmental Education Worldwide
as believing that aligning its value proposition to SDG’s is a
Initiative to participate in COP25 Chile to share our initiative
fundamental step forward to contribute to the 2030 Agenda
and promote a global environmental education agreement
for Sustainable Development.
that leads us to create and educate billions of “Planetary
Warriors” worldwide.
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