Sustainable urban planning and construction in the South

This paper focuses on the key elements of sustainable building, giving starting points for further research concerning the environmental, economical, social and political implications and offering different concepts, where the decision clearly depends on nontechnical choices. The building and construction sector is the single largest contributor to global Greenhouse Gas emissions (GHG), with approximately one-third of global energy end use taking place within buildings. Therefore, it is one of the most important sectors in mitigating climate change.