Coppe Professor Participates in Project Evaluating Emissions from Minha Casa, Minha Vida
Planeta COPPE / Civil Engineering / Low Carbon / News
Date: 03/06/2025
Professor Lucas Caldas, from the Civil Engineering Program at Coppe/UFRJ, is part of the Brazilian team responsible for assessing the carbon emissions associated with Minha Casa, Minha Vida (PMCMV), a federal government program focused on affordable housing. The project marks an important step toward the formulation of public policies for decarbonization in the construction sector.
In a multidisciplinary effort, the researchers are developing a methodology and a tool to calculate embodied carbon—that is, the greenhouse gas emissions generated in the production and transportation of the materials used in the housing program’s construction projects.
The goal is to measure the environmental impact of the housing units already built under the PMCMV, creating technical indicators to enable performance monitoring. Based on this diagnosis, it will be possible to propose concrete emission reduction measures and contribute to a more sustainable construction sector.
Lucas Caldas, who is also a professor in the Graduate Program in Architecture at FAU/UFRJ and coordinates the Technical Roofing Group, emphasizes that the indicators will be crucial for guiding government decisions: “We want to offer a practical tool for designers, one that transforms environmental diagnostics into effective mitigation actions. In doing so, we directly contribute to improving public policy in the area of social housing.”
Lucas notes that the project aligns with various ongoing decarbonization research initiatives at Coppe, carried out by its diverse research groups. Among them is the Center for Education and Research on Low-Environmental-Impact Materials and Technologies in Sustainable Construction (Numats) of the Civil Engineering Program, of which he is a member.
The initiative, titled “CO₂ Mitigation and Quality of Life in Housing: MCMVs Self-Managed Housing,” is funded by Caixa Econômica Federal and coordinated by Professor Vanderley M. John of the University of São Paulo (USP).
- Affordable Housing
- Decarbonization
- Greenhouse Gases Evaluation
